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July 31, 2005
O.J. kicked out of sports show in Rosemont
What did he expect?
O.J. was in the house -- so they booted him.O.J. Simpson -- acquitted of killing his ex-wife and her friend nearly 10 years ago -- showed up to sign autographs at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Rosemont on Saturday but was asked to leave within an hour, convention organizers said.
Celebrities need prior approval to sign autographs at the show, and neither Simpson nor the exhibitor that apparently invited him had sought permission, convention spokesman Bob Ibach said.
And even if they had, Simpson likely wouldn't have gotten it.
"The subject of Simpson one day being a guest has been raised in the past and has been strongly opposed by the board of directors," said Bob Byer, the convention's director.
[ Read it all: O.J. kicked out of sports show in Rosemont ]
Posted by BIGBAER at 01:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 30, 2005
Rev Run To Deliver A Keynote Address At CMJ Music Marathon 2005
Rev Run
Run-DMC
This year marks the 25th Anniversary of CMJ Music Marathon which will be held from Wednesday, September 14 through Saturday September 17 at Lincoln Center. CMJ Music Marathon 2005 plays host to an extraordinary array of bands, fans and music business professionals, offering 1000 shows at more than 50 venues. Recognized as one of the world's largest and longest-running music events, CMJ continues to serve as a springboard for the best new music talent from a variety of genres. This year, performers include The Arcade Fire, Atmosphere, !!! (Chk Chk Chk) Dungen, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Juan Maclean, John Vanderslice, The Hold Steady, Wolf Parade, Blackalicious, Dandy Warhols, Longwave, Regina Spektor, Particle, Diamond Nights and many more. CMJ Music Marathon also features more than 50 panels exploring some of the most critical issues facing today's volatile music business. Additionally, CMJ Music Marathon 2005 presents the CMJ FilmFest, featuring screenings of cutting-edge films from emerging and established filmmakers. [ LINKS: http://www.cmj.com/marathon | http://www.revrun.com/ ]
Posted by BIGBAER at 03:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 29, 2005
Payola Hurts the Music Industry and the Consumer
Payola is back if indeed it ever left. The recent SONY/BMG payola scandal generated little interest outside of music industry circles. It is not likely that many in the public sector, the listening audience and music-consumers, either know or care much about the implications and results of payola. This is a shame. Payola, or the act of bribing radio stations and/or individual DJs for the purpose buying spins (airplay) to promote artists or songs is wrong. It stacks the deck so that payola-spun tracks gain undeserved rankings and appear to be more popular than deserved. Payola also limits the field by denying rightful access to airtime that more deserving music would have received. Make no mistake, Payola is not a victimless crime. Airplay translates into raw sales in a significant manner and careers are made or broken on units sold.
While it is true that the face of radio is changing with the advent of the new subscription services such as XM and Sirius satellite radio services, traditional outlets build their playlists on perceived popularity and listener feedback. Artist's offerings rise of fall in the charts on their own merit. At least, that is how is is supposed to work when payola is not involved.
SONY SETTLES PAYOLA INVESTIGATION
Company Acknowledges Problems; Agrees to Sweeping Reforms
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today announced an agreement to halt pervasive "pay-for-play" in the music industry.
Under the agreement, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, one of the world's leading record companies and owner of a number of major record labels, has agreed to stop making payments and providing expensive gifts to radio stations and their employees in return for "airplay" for the company's songs.
Such payoffs violate state and federal law.
"Our investigation shows that, contrary to listener expectations that songs are selected for airplay based on artistic merit and popularity, air time is often determined by undisclosed payoffs to radio stations and their employees," Spitzer said. "This agreement is a model for breaking the pervasive influence of bribes in the industry."
After receiving tips from industry insiders, Spitzer's office conducted a year-long investigation and determined that SONY BMG and its record labels had offered a series of inducements to radio stations and their employees to obtain airplay for the recordings by the company's artists.
The inducements for airplay, also known as "payola," took several forms:
• Outright bribes to radio programmers, including expensive vacation packages, electronics and other valuable items;
• Contest giveaways for stations' listening audiences;
• Payments to radio stations to cover operational expenses;
• Retention of middlemen, known as independent promoters, as conduits for illegal payments to radio stations;
• Payments for "spin programs," airplay under the guise of advertising.
E-mail correspondence obtained during the investigation shows that company executives were well aware of the payoffs and made sure that the company got sufficient airplay to justify these expenditures.
In discussing a bribe given to a radio programmer in Buffalo, one promotion executive at SONY BMG's Epic Records wrote to a colleague at Epic:
"Two weeks ago, it cost us over 4000.00 to get Franz [Ferdinand] on WKSE. That is what the four trips to Miami and hotel cost . . . At the end of the day, [David] Universal added GC [Good Charlotte] and Gretchen Wilson and hit Alex up for another grand and they settled for $750.00. So almost $5000.00 in two weeks for overnight airplay. He told me that Tommy really wanted him to do it so he cut the deal."
Another Epic employee who was trying to promote the group Audioslave to a Clear Channel programmer asked in an email:
"WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET AUDIOSLAVE ON WKSS THIS WEEK?!!? Whatever you can dream up, I can make it happen."
A promotion employee unhappy with the times assigned for spins of the song "I Drove All Night" by Celine Dion wrote this internal email:
"OK, HERE IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE AND IT'S SERIOUS: IF A RADIO STATION GOT A FLYAWAY TO A CELINE [DION] SHOW IN LAS VEGAS FOR THE ADD, AND THEY'RE PLAYING THE SONG ALL IN OVERNIGHTS, THEY ARE NOT GETTING THE FLYAWAY. PLEASE FIX THE OVERNIGHT ROTATIONS IMMEDIATELY."
The investigation revealed that SONY BMG employees took steps to conceal many of the payments to individuals and radio stations, by using fictitious "contest winners" to document the transactions and make it appear as though the payments and gifts were going to radio listeners instead of station employees.
The Assurance of Discontinuance summarizing the Attorney General's findings alleges that the illegal payoffs for airplay were designed to manipulate record charts, generate consumer interest in records and increase sales.
Spitzer said: "Aggressive promotion of products is one of the hallmarks of our economy. We expect it and respect it when done creatively and legally. But the efforts outlined in the Assurance clearly crossed the line and must be curtailed."
Ann Chaitovitz, Director of Sound Recordings for AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) said: "We would like to thank Attorney General Spitzer for examining this pernicious issue. Pay-for-play hurts both recording artists and the public. We look forward to his continuing investigation of the other record labels and the vertically integrated radio station owners."
Don Henley, a member of the Eagles and founding member of the Recording Artists’ Coalition said: "Attorney General Eliot Spitzer should be commended for successfully addressing the pay-for-play problem. There is no question that payola hurts recording artists. RAC is grateful to him and his staff for exposing the magnitude of the payola problem and for getting a major label to agree to change the way it does business. We look forward to other record labels agreeing to similar reforms."
Under the Assurance, SONY BMG, building on guidelines SONY BMG issued earlier this year in response to the AG's investigation, has agreed to stop making payoffs in return for airplay and will fully disclose all items of value provided to radio stations in the future. SONY BMG also has agreed to corporate-wide reforms, including hiring a compliance officer responsible for monitoring promotion practices and developing and implementing an internal accounting system designed to detect future abuses. This is the first time an entertainment company has agreed to such sweeping reforms.
The company has also issued a statement acknowledging the improper conduct and pledging to abide by a higher standard.
In addition, the company has agreed to make a $10 million payment for distribution by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to New York State not-for-profit entities in a manner that will inure to the benefit of the residents of the State of New York by funding programs aimed at music education and appreciation.
Spitzer said SONY BMG officials cooperated fully with his investigators and promptly agreed to reforms when the problems were identified. He commended the company for taking steps that should serve as a model for the rest of the industry.
Spitzer also noted that his office continues its broad investigation of pay-for-play practices in the recorded music industry.
The investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant Attorney General Kathleen O'Neill of the Telecommunications & Energy Bureau, and Ricardo Velez of the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau, under the direction of Terryl Brown Clemons, Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Division of Public Advocacy.
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Michael Jackson Thriller: The Essential Michael Jackson Album FLOPS!
A spokeswoman for Neilsen Soundscan, which monitors US record sales, confirmed: "Carly Simon
sold 50,000 more albums than Michael Jackson." So how many copies of The Essential Michael Jackson
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July 28, 2005
XM Satellite Radio And Napster Partner To Launch 'XM + Napster' Integrated Music Service
Napster, the biggest brand in digital music, and XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading satellite radio company, announced a long-term, strategic partnership that will take the digital music experience to new heights with the integration of their satellite radio and online music services for listening online and on a variety of MP3 players.
The collaboration will debut with the launch of "XM + Napster," the first online service to provide a single interface for accessing, purchasing, and managing music from XM and Napster. "XM + Napster" will be the exclusive, integrated service for digital music subscriptions and downloading for XM's 4.4 million-plus subscribers. XM subscribers will be able to dive deeper into the catalog of artists they enjoy and discover new music via "XM + Napster."
The co-branded "XM + Napster" service will be marketed by XM and Napster, and launched in the fourth quarter of 2005 in conjunction with the availability of new XM/MP3 players with XM's Connect and Play technology, which will give XM subscribers the ability to listen to XM's 150-plus channels of live programming on the player, in the car or at home, store songs in the player's memory, and mark the songs they like for future reference or online purchase.
When the XM/MP3 player is connected to a PC, the "XM + Napster" service will match the marked XM song titles with Napster's massive music catalog; available songs can be purchased individually for on-demand listening and transferred to the player for a completely portable experience. The "XM + Napster" service will also enable XM subscribers to manage their entire digital music collection in one location, giving them the freedom to create playlists that contain music from a variety of sources.
In addition, the "XM + Napster" service will allow XM subscribers who listen to XM Radio Online, the Internet radio service that offers more than 70 XM music channels, to listen to music they hear on XM and purchase music for transfer to a variety of compatible MP3 players.
"XM + Napster" lets XM subscribers enjoy unparalleled flexibility. XM Satellite Radio allows subscribers to discover new music and rediscover favorites, and the "XM + Napster" service gives them access to Napster's massive catalog for on-demand listening. XM subscribers can pay a monthly subscription fee for unlimited Napster tracks or they can purchase individual songs.
"The combination of the 'XM + Napster' service with new XM/MP3 players will provide XM subscribers with the ultimate 360-degree music experience," said Hugh Panero, XM president and CEO. "Today, XM subscribers can effortlessly discover and listen to any kind of music, and soon they will be able to effortlessly access, purchase, and manage their music with 'XM + Napster' and the new XM/MP3 players."
"Napster is excited to work with XM to create a cutting-edge product that merges the best of online and satellite music into one great, integrated experience," said Chris Gorog, Napster's chairman and CEO. "'XM + Napster' will be nirvana for passionate music fans."
Posted by BIGBAER at 03:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 27, 2005
Rocket Mobile Surges Past The One Million Download Mark With Song IDentity
Rocket Mobile, a leading provider of mobile phone software, announced that its Song IDentity music recognition application, developed for QUALCOMM's BREW solution, has reached the one million download mark.
Song IDentity won the "Best Entertainment Application" and "People's Choice" Awards at the fifth annual BREW 2005 Developer Awards held this past June during the BREW 2005 Conference, and is the only mobile handset music recognition application live on operator networks in North America. The Song IDentity application provides users with the ability to record a 10 second snippet of music to identify the artist, song and album. The service also provides the user with an option to purchase the ringtone after successful music recognition.
"Reaching the one million download mark is a tremendous milestone for Song IDentity. People are truly amazed when they use the application and experience the music recognition service on their handset," said Wayne Yurtin, president and CEO of Rocket Mobile. "We are thrilled with the success of Song IDentity, and credit the BREW solution with providing an optimum application development and execution environment that has allowed us to bring the application to market quickly and easily."
"The popularity of Rocket Mobile's Song IDentity application is an excellent example of the type of compelling music applications available through QUALCOMM's BREW solution," said Tom Grieco, senior director of BREW Developer Relations for QUALCOMM Internet Services. "The fact that Song IDentity has been available for less than a year and has had such a rapid rise to the one millionth download figure is proof that mobile music applications are becoming more sophisticated and compelling."
Built using QUALCOMM's BREW solution, the Song IDentity application recognizes music anywhere. Users simply hold their mobile phone to any music source and Song IDentity records a music sample and sends it to the backend servers for recognition. The music and ringtone category has been one of the fastest growing areas in the wireless industry and Song IDentity complements wireless operators overall music strategy.
QUALCOMM's BREW solution is designed to meet the distinct and varied needs of wireless operators, handset manufacturers, publishers, developers and end users around the world. BREW products and services include: an open, extensible client platform that supports robust systems and application software including personalized and branded user interfaces for mass market devices; a J2EE-based, modular delivery system that enables the distribution of content, applications and user interfaces to wireless devices across all air interfaces; a dedicated professional services team that supports the integration of customized implementations; and the wireless industry's first global marketplace to support the monetization of applications and services developed in all programming languages. The BREW solution can make the wireless visions of innovative companies a reality.
Posted by BIGBAER at 12:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Global Music International, Inc. Signs Content License Agreement With MobileVision Communications Ltd Beijing China
Global Music International, Inc. intending to provide music video content to the wireless telecom industry through known content distributors, announced that Mobilevision Communications Ltd. Beijing, China (Mobilevision) has informed Global that MobileVision intends to launch Global's music video programming on China Unicom's mobile phone network on or about August 1st. The streaming media service by MobileVision is initially offered as a pilot commercial program without charge. Global agreed to participate in this pilot program by providing the content to MobileVision without charge during this period.
Starting on October 1, 2005, Mobilevision intends to charge for the streaming service. The revenue sharing and payment terms between Global and MobileVision will take effect starting on the same date of commercial service. The program will become a subscription-based service as a stand-alone premium channel. MobileVision will also be making available the music video content from Global on its WAP Portal pages http://www.looklook.cn and in links contained in its WAP push messages through China Unicom's network.
Global entered into a content license agreement with Mobilevision Communications Ltd. Beijing, China for distribution of its music video programming on a subscription basis for broadcast on mobile phones in China on July 13, 2005 (See 8k) 7/15/05. The terms of the agreement give Mobilevision the rights, on a non-excusive basis, to distribute Global's music video content and to promote and market Global's music video programming in China. In addition, Mobilevision will handle all streaming and encoding of Global's content, as well as track, receive and distribute payment to Global on a monthly basis. The term of the agreement is for one year with automatic renewals subject to Global's approval.
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