Waarom krijgen musici _en_ luisteraars geen fair deal?

[Cees Binkhorst]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/20/opinion/20THU4.html
Pop music played a crucial role in the national debate over the Vietnam War. By the late 1960's, radio stations across the country were
crackling with blatantly political songs that became mainstream hits. After the National Guard killed four antiwar demonstrators at Kent
State University in Ohio in the spring of 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young recorded a song, simply titled "Ohio," about the horror of
the event, criticizing President Richard Nixon by name. The song was rushed onto the air while sentiment was still high, and became
both an antiwar anthem and a huge moneymaker.

A comparable song about George W. Bush's rush to war in Iraq would have no chance at all today. There are plenty of angry people,
many with prime music-buying demographics. But independent radio stations that once would have played edgy, political music have
been gobbled up by corporations that control hundreds of stations and have no wish to rock the boat. Corporate ownership has
changed what gets played — and who plays it.
[knip]
Recording artists were seen as hysterics when they complained during the 1990's that radio was killing popular music by playing too
little of it. But musicians have turned out to be the canaries in the coal mine — the first group to be affected by a 1996 federal law that
allowed corporations to gobble up hundreds of stations, limiting expression over airwaves that are merely licensed to broadcasters but
owned by the American public.
[knip]
The perils of consolidation can be seen clearly in the music world. Different stations play formats labeled "adult contemporary," "active
rock," "contemporary hit radio" and so on. But studies show that the formats are often different in name only — and that as many as 50
percent of the songs played in one format can be found in other formats as well. The point of these sterile play lists is to continually
repeat songs that challenge nothing and no one, blending in large blocks of commercials.
[knip]
Mr. Henley's Senate testimony recalled the Congressional payola hearings of 1959-60, which showed the public how disc jockeys were
accepting bribes to spin records on the air. Now, Mr. Henley said, record companies must pay large sums to "independent promoters,"
who intercede with radio conglomerates to get songs on the air. Those fees, Mr. Henley said in a recent telephone interview, sometimes
reach $400,000.
[knip]

Musici kunnen wel _gratis_ worden beluisterd op o.a. deze website van een van de vier grootste radio/tv-stations in de VS (en ver
daarbuiten) en dat betekent dus ook dat ze daar niet voor worden betaald!
http://www.clearchannelnewmusicnetwork.com/

Mark Mays, de president en COO van ClearChannel, zegt hierover:
http://www.internalmemos.com/memos/memodetails.php?memo_id=1327
We have over 2000 bands and artists registered and we have only promoted the project in some 20 markets. This project along with our
new music radio shows, the work CC Entertainment does to bring new artists into clubs and venues demonstrates Clear Channel is
CLEARLY doing its part to grow the music business and bring new music to consumers.

Meer informatie over dit bedrijf op
http://www.clearchannelsucks.org/
Waar ook o.a. bericht wordt over deals van b.v. USD 400.000:
Clear Channel has recently given exclusive access to their urban market stations to three independent promoters, who have in turn
raised promotional rates to record companies more than 50%. This is a stark difference from what Clear Channel President Mark Mays'
position has been recently, siding largely with the record labels on the problems with the independent promotion system. Reportedly,
Randy Michaels, former CEO of the Clear Channel Radio division, was ousted because of bad relations with the music industry.
De LATimes schrijft daar o.a. dit over (voor restant bericht moet worden betaald):
[John Hogan] also said Tuesday that he would discontinue the radio division's use of Radioactive, a private company owned by [Randy
Michaels]. Through Radioactive, Michaels billed Clear Channel when company executives flew aboard his privately owned plane. Last
year, Clear Channel paid Radioactive about $447,100 for "consulting and transportation"--an amount approaching Michaels' base
salary of $506,471.
Waarom zou CC dit soort kadootjes weggeven?


Groet,

Cees Binkhorst - cees at binkhorst.xs4all.nl

Een paar recente uitspraken:
'Als de VN relevant willen zijn, moeten ze precies doen wat ik zeg.'
'Ik weet dat ik tegen de wensen van de Security Council en de tekst
van het VN-verdrag in ga, maar ik doe het wel om een VN-resolutie
uit te voeren.'

**********
Dit bericht is verzonden via de informele D66 discussielijst (D66 at nic.surfnet.nl).
Aanmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SUBSCRIBE D66
Afmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SIGNOFF D66
Het on-line archief is te vinden op: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/d66.html
**********