Performance Royalty Issue Heats Up…

Friday, July, 31, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

(Weekend Edition)

It might be time for a beer summit for both sides in the performance royalty business.  Things are heating up again on both sides of the argument on whether or not terrestrial radio should pass the hat for performers every time a song is played on the air.  To no one’s surprise, music artists firmly back the tariff while those who would have to ante up, are in opposition.  The latest example of the former is the blast leveled at the Radio One group, which opposes the tax, by Dionne Warwick.  Sheila E. will bat leadoff for the music industry when members of Congress meet on the issue Tuesday and others like Duke Fakir of the Four Tops and Billy Corgan continue to hammer away for their cause.  Those opposed to the levy have enough votes in the House to kill the act if and when it’s ever voted on…

A new charge has been issued in the royalty battle by the musicFirst coalition which released the text of an ad it says has been rejected by Clear Channel and other radio groups and stations.  Jennifer Bendall, executive director of musicFirst says “this is further evidence of how corporate radio groups and stations are violating their public interest obligations.”  The coalition is pushing the FCC to investigate commercial radio on those grounds.  The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) says ”the recording industry is trying to bite the hand that feeds it by imposing a new tax on its biggest promotional tool, as if free radio were immune to the economic downturn”…

Both sides in the royalty battle will touch gloves and come out fighting at the bell on Tuesday…  

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1921] Not guilty: A jury in Chicago acquits several former members of the Chicago White Sox aka “Black Socks” and two others of conspiring to defraud the public by throwing the 1919 World Series (8/2)…
2. 1943] PT-109: The PT-109 commanded by Lt. John Fitzgerald Kennedy sinks after being sheared in two by a Japanese destroyer off the Soloman Islands. JFK is credited with saving members of his crew (8/2)…
3. 1964] “Happy Trails“: Country singer Jim Reeves dies when the single-engine Beechcraft he was piloting goes down during a violent thunderstorm near his home in Nashville. His business partner and manager Dean Manuel is also killed. “Gentleman Jim” was just 40 (7/31)…2005] The rock journalist who introduced Bob Dylan to the Beatles, Al Aronowitz passes away from cancer at 77 (8/1)…
4. 1966] Tower Horror: Charles Joseph Whitman, 25, climbs the University of Texas tower in Austin and starts shooting. Before he’s through, 15 lay dead, 31 wounded. Whitman was gunned down by Austin police (8/1)…
5. 1973] Where were you in 62?: Better yet, where were you on August 1st when “American Graffiti” premiered? The movie makes stars of Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss, enhances the careers of Ron Howard, Cindy Williams and Wolfman Jack. Suzanne Somers debuts as the blond in the T-Bird (8/1)…
6. 1976] Real Golden Gloves: The U.S. picks up 5 gold medals in boxing at the Montreal Olympics. Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Spinks, Leon Spinks, Howard Davis and Leo Randolph are the winners of the gold awards. Sugar Ray and Leon Spinks will become pro-boxing champions (7/31)…
7. 1979] Oh Captain, my captain: Yankees captain, 31-year old catcher Thurman Munson dies when his private jet crashes near the Canton (OH) airport. The baseball world is stunned by his death (8/2)…
8. 1986] Wedding Bells: John McEnroe and Tatum O’Neal touch gloves and go to a neutral corner after saying “I do”. Divorced in 1992, the couple will have 3 children together (8/1)…1994] Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley announce (8/1) they were married 11 weeks earlier in the Dominican Republic. They divorce in January, 1996…
9. 1992] Going to Hall: ‘The Franchise’ aka George Thomas Seaver of the Mets enters the MLB Hall of Fame (8/2) with the highest percentage (98.84%) of votes in HOF history…
10. 1995] Sprouting mouse ears: The Walt Disney Co. agrees to buy Capital Cities - ABC Inc. for $15 billion (7/31)…

Music Memories:

• 1960] Released on this date (8/1): “The Twist” - Chubby Checker . The single will top the charts for one week on September 19th. Two years later, when it’s re-released it tops the charts again on January 13, 1962 for two weeks…
• 1960] Number One on this date: “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - Bryan Hyland (8/2)…1971] “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” - Bee Gees (8/2)…1981] “Jessie’s Girl” - Rick Springfield (8/2)…
• 1968] Recording finished on this date: “Hey Jude” is completed by the Beatles at Trident Studios in London (7/31)…
• 1969] Pop goes the AC Festival: 110,000 attend the 3-day Atlantic City Pop Festival held at AC Race Course. The star-studded lineup includes: Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Jefferson Airplane, Three Dog Night, Canned Heat and others (8/1)…
• 1971] Live from Madison Square Garden: “The Concert for Bangla Desh” starring George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Badfinger and more (8/1)…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“: (7/31) Dean Cain (43), J.K. Rowling (44), Wesley Snipes (47), Evonne Goolagong Cawley (58), Gary Lewis (64), William Weld (64), Sherry Lansing (65), Geraldine Chaplin (65),Lobo aka Roland Kent Lavoie (66) and Robert Morgenthau (90)…(8/1) Tempestt Bledsoe (36), Coach Roy Williams (59), Alfonse D’Amato (72)…(8/2) Tim Wakefield (43), Mary-Louise Parker (45), Victoria Jackson (50), Butch Patrick (56), Judge Lance Ito (59), Joanna Cassidy (64), Wes Craven (70) and Peter O’Toole (77)…

Timeline Countdown: 8 days until NFL HOF induction, 38 days until Labor Day and 41 days until NFL opener…

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