From WNYC in New York, this is NPR's On the Media. I'm Brooke Gladstone.

And I'm Bob Garfield. In this run-up to the Oscars, we consider how the times, they are a

changing for the movie musical and movie music.

Also, Alan Greenspan, who plays a music. Any minute now, I'm expecting all hell to play blue.

Also, Alan Greenspan, who plays a mean clarinet, drops in on Al Gore's journalism class,

and a Canadian politician sends an aide to impersonate him on a radio talk show.

Hi, Shannon.

It's Matthew Johnson, executive assistant to member parliament, Rahim Jaffer.

Just trying to touch base, make sure this line is working for Rahim's 2 o'clock interview.

Hi, Shannon, it's Rahim Jaffer calling.

I just wanted to just confirm our 2 o'clock radio interview.

Also, Senate action to cap the cost of campaign ads, and once again, we put the Punditron through its paces.

Coming up on NPR's On the Media.

First this news.

Thank you. From WNYC in New York, this is NPR's on the media.

I'm Brooke Gladstone.

And I'm Bob Garfield.

This week, the U.S. Senate voted down a proposal that would require unions and corporations to seek members or shareholders' permission before spending money on politics.

The defeated amendment proposed by President Bush sidesteps the core issue of campaign finance

reform legislation, which is to ban the large political

contributions known as soft money. However, the Senate was able to pass a bill that would require

broadcasters to provide discounted TV ad rates for political commercials in good time slots.

...