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THUMB UP: Sweet music • Utah Symphony | Utah Opera appears to have passed through its budgetary trial by fire, at least for the time being. The state's largest performing arts organization announced last week that it balanced its $17 million budget for the 2009-2010 season. The largest share of the credit for that belongs to the musicians, who made $1.3 million in salary and benefit concessions a year ago. That's a 19 percent cut, on average, per player. However, major donors, including some of the state's largest private foundations, stepped up to help right the ship. The challenge for all symphony orchestras and opera companies in the nation is to build new audiences, as young people abandon these traditional art forms. The symphony and opera did sell 8 percent more season tickets and expanded subscriber households by 17 percent last season. To survive, they must continue that kind of growth into the future. If you haven't tried it, give a concert at Abravanel Hall a try. No electronic sound system can touch it.

THUMB UP: Amped up • Rocky Mountain Power is winning the praise of neighbors for designing a less obtrusive substation at 144 S. 1100 East in Salt Lake City. When the utility announced it would expand transformer capacity of the station from 46,000 to 138,000 volts last year, neighbors were shocked, then angry. They fought the expansion because of noise and environmental hazards. But during a tense process, the company responded, surrounding the substation with a faux rock wall to deaden sound and lowering towers by 20 feet. The folks who live nearby say it was a tough fight, but they credit the company with a good result. Now if we could just bury power lines, beginning with new construction.

THUMB UP: So long, Sean • KSL NewsRadio's decision to dump "The Sean Hannity Show" from its lineup probably doesn't sit too well with his many fans, but you'll hear no lament from this quarter. We believe KSL is right to clear its air of the right-wing syndicated talk show host in favor of "The Browser," its own new weekday afternoon show. KSL said the decision was based on a desire to feature more local programing, which is no doubt the case. But it's also obvious that Hannity's acerbic bombast would not fit well with the LDS Church-owned station's recent mission statement to more closely reflect the values of its ownership, emphasizing "integrity, civility, morality and respect for all people." Hannity was snapped up by local talk-radio station KNRS, where he'll feel right at home with fellow blowhards Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.