News:
· Puff 'n' Stuff
Everything that's happenin in Adelaide this fortnight.
· Industry
The latest from the music industry.
· Puffio
Theatre news.
· Dance
Dance and electronica news.
· Metal
Updates from the wide world of metal.
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Industry.
Copyright Change?
In a move that angered ARIA, Attorney General Philip Ruddock
announced he is prepared to look at a review to change the Copyright
Act to allow a "fair use" clause. Consumers who have bought
a CD or DVD could make copies to use in another media. ARIA
says a move would "cloud the waters" and confuse consumers.
But associations like APRA agree with the move. Last year, Phil
Tripp of Immedia! launched a campaign to change the laws, saying
that the record companies were just trying to protect their
huge sales of compilation albums.
Fees Disputes
Two disputes over licensing fees could end
up in the Copyright Tribunal, the "umpire" body. Attorney General
Ruddock has agreed to look at removing the 1% cap set in 1969
which allows radio stations to pay just 0.04% of their income
to the PPCA for use of music. ARIA and AIR reckons it should
be 2% to 4.5% which European radio stations are charged. Radio
body Commercial Radio Australia isn't budging. Meantime, APRA
wants film groups to pay 1% of their box office gross for use
of music, rather than the 0.33% they do now. The film companies
aren't shrieking with excitement over this one either.
Franz Ferdinand Make History
Franz Ferdinand made music history after winning best album
and single at the NME awards in London last week. They become
the first act to win the Mercury Music Prize, Brit Awards and
the NME Awards in the same year. Other winners were The Libertines
(best band), Muse (live act), The Killers (international band),
Green Day (video, for American Idiot) and Razorlight
(new band). The late DJ John Peel got a special achievement,
New Order the Godlike Genius award.
Sometimes You Crick, Sometimes You...
It won't be just Michael Hutchence lookalikes
auditioning in Sydney for the INXS Rock Star series. Expect
fat balding suits too. A corporate $3,000 a table dinner on
Wednesday to mark the 15th anniversary of Clean Up Australia
Day, will be attended by execs from McDonalds, Coca-Cola Amatil,
News Ltd, Woolworths, BP, Myer, among others. One of the prizes
in the charity auction is the chance to try out. Hip shaking
or hip replacement?
Anti-Piracy Head Speck Resigns
Michael Speck, GM of the Music Industry Piracy Investigation
unit (MIPI) has resigned. A member of the NSW police force for
17 years, Speck set up MIPI in April 1994. Articulate and with
a sharp humour, he was instrumental in raising the profile of
the threat of piracy in this country. His two biggest cases
- against Sharman Networks, and the previous owner Stephen Cooper
of the MP3s4free.net website and its ISP ComCen - will be finished
before he leaves on April 15. He plans to return to university
to study criminology.
Grammy Ratings Down
Ratings in America for the Grammys were the
lowest in the last decade. Only 18.8 million watched it in the
US (it was up against 'Desperate Housewives') with a sharp decline
in the 18 to 45 age group. But artists enjoyed a boost in sales
as a result. Green Day's 'American Idiot' is expected to go
back to #1 and Ray Charles' at #2. Alicia Keys, Usher and Kanye
West. Joss Stone's sales tripled after her Janis Joplin tribute;
and a Joplin hits CD is back in the charts as a result!
AMB Early Bird Deadline
The early bird three day ticket deal for the 7th Australasian
Music Business Conference (August 11-13 at the Sydney Superdome)
at $385 expires on March 1. After that, it's $440 for three
days, $385 for two days and $220 for one day. Organisers expect
it to draw 750. More details from info@immedia.com.au
Stores Rapped Over Counterfeits
ARIA lawyers pounced on 12 music stores across
the country for stocking counterfeit CDs made in SE Asia - which
arrived here as part of a shipment of 700,000. The retailers
say they didn't know they were counterfeit - a point that record
companies made when trying to stop parallel import restrictions
from being lifted seven years ago.
Changes At MMF
Tracy Redhead has joined the Music Managers Forum's head office
in Sydney as the Business Administration Manager. Head office
business hours are now Tuesday to Thursday 10 to 5pm, with Redhead
contacted at 02 9310 4268 or tracy@immf.net<.> In Melbourne,
Penny Weber formerly Business Administration Manager is now
Professional Development Manager facilitating the masterclasses,
conferences, Outta Limits program etc. She is on 03 9534 2446
or penny@immf.net
SA-FM Changes
Some comings and goings at SA-FM. Rod Maldon
has moved to Brisbane to take over B105's afternoon shift. Jeremy
Ryan is also leaving to go interstate. He came from Alice Springs
the previous year to co-host the Freq show with Wilco on the
previous Triple M format. He then went on to SA-FM in a weekend
role. Daniel 'Danno' Cassin has joined from Newcastle, where
he was music director and drive presenter at NXFM.
La Bomba Goes National
Adelaide Latin company La Bomba is now La Bomba Productions
Australia as they plan to take on more of a national events
focus. But in home news, the company's Natalie (La Bomba) will
produce a weekly radio show on Fresh 92.7FM called Funked Up
World,Tuesdays 11pm. The Latin Dance Factory is under new management
and La Bomba will continue street Latin dance classes at The
Gov on Mondays. The Gov will host the Latino Easter Festival
(Easter Saturday 26th March) with over 50 artists.
Heading South
SA radio is giving Qld DJs job opportunities.
Rob 'Bear' Kidd, former breakfast host at 4MK FM Mackay, is
doing the breakfast show at 5MU Murray Bridge and the morning
shift on sister station Power FM.
Buzz Grants Deadline
The first deadline for the Australia Council for the Arts Music
section's bUzz Initiative for young and emerging artists, is
March 1. Application forms are available on the website www.ozco.gov.au
Lifelines:
Ill: Willie Nelson, severe laringytis, cancelled his Oz trip.
Ill: Jennifer Lopez, cancelled European trip.
Hospitalised: Billy Joel in New York for severe stomach pains.
Fined: top Italian DJ (name witheld by cops) fined 1.4 million
euros ($1.8 million) for playing 2,000 pirated MP3s in a club
near Rome.
In Court: Yusef Islam (ex-Cat Stevens) got an apology and financial
settlement from UK newspapers 'The Sun' and 'Sunday Times' for
calling him a terrorist supporter.
In Court: Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx awarded $600,000 in
his case against show company Vans Incorporated for running
an ad in sports magazine Thrasher using his picture without
permission.
Sued: P.Diddy by Random House (NY) wanting back their $300,000
advance paid five years ago for memoirs he never delivered.
Sued: Janet Jackson for $120 million by New York man, Leonard
Salati who says her bodyguards beat him and left him with "permanent
damage" after he tried to pass a note to her at a club.
Triple M Lifts Sales
The first good news for Austereo was that in the July to December
year, programming changes at Triple M saw a sales increase of
26.1%. Its second good news is that revenue for the entire Austereo
company rose 10.4% to $133.9 million, and the net profit of
$39.8 million represented a 10.2% increase p.c.p.
Alas, the first bad news however was that 2DAY's earnings remained static. The second bad news is that Austereo expects full year earnings before interest and tax to be $64m to $68m, down from $71.2 million "subject to any major changes in market conditions". Read that as: competition from the pesky DMG Radio which will roll out new over-40s FM stations in Melbourne and Sydney, and the new Nova in Brisbane for which it has announced Triple M Sydney's Jamie Row as its first on-air talent and Kate Casey as its music director.
Buble, Thomas Back
Two international live attractions are heading
back here in autumn. One is Canadian crooner Michael Buble,
who sells more records here per capita than anywhere else in
the world, the other is Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 who has a
solo record out.
Smash Picks Up The Panda
Smash Music have secured distribution and
marketing rights for the Australian and NZ territory for UK
tastemaker label Fierce Panda. It is run by Simon Williams who
discovered Coldplay, Placebo, Ash, Supergrass, Keane, The Music,
Polyphonic Spree and Bright Eyes.
Venue Talk
For those of you booking national tours, the new owners of the
Underpass in Melbourne has closed off live acts, while Metro
City in Perth has had its liquor licence suspended.
Mobiles Chase iPod Market
With portable music players like iPod vroom-vrooming
out the stores, it was only a matter of time that mobile phone
makers wanted in. Mobiles can pack more features than MP3 players
for the same price: they can sell their phones for below cost
and make money back on subscriptions and air time. Their problem
is to match the music players' easy to use friendliness. Sony
Ericsson is to market music-player mobiles using tracks from
sister company Sony BMG. Nokia cut an alliance with Microsoft
to allow subscribers to load music from a PC onto their phones.
Motorola has unveiled a wireless music system called iRadio
where, via their mobiles, users can listen to Internet radio
stations and personal music collections in their cars and home
audio systems.
Regional B'casters Conf.
The Southern Community Media Association is presenting the Regional
and Rural Conference at Wagga Wagga's RSL Club between May 13
to 15. Workshops include volunteer management, financial management,
program structure, production, sales and marketing and fundraising.
Costs are $120 pre booked or $140 if booking after April 22.
More info, scma1@tpg.com.au
Payola Investigation Starts
NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is investigating
payola, and has subpoenaed three major radio companies - Clear
Channel, Entercom and Infinity. It is to do with labels' use
of independent pluggers to get radio airplay, and allegations
of pay for play.
More Expansion For JB Hi Fi
Home entertainment and CD retailer JB Hi Fi has reported a record
first half profit of $15.4 million, a rise of 60% in the first
six months of the financial year to December 31. CEO Richard
Uechtritz said that sales in January and February have been
strong enough for them to meet their expectations of making
sales of $700 million for the whole year. It grossed $452.4
million in 2003/04. JB Hi Fi opened seven stores in the first
six months, and plan three more stores for the rest of the year,
one of them at the Logan Hyperdome near Brisbane.
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