Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Performance Royalty Opposition Grows & "WRKO...The Launch"...

After the White House endorsed a performance fee on radio, the National Association of Broadcasters fired off its answer to Washington. The NAB issued this statement: "This is hardly a new policy position from the White House. NAB remains unalterably opposed to legislation creating an onerous, jobs-killing fee on America's hometown radio stations without offsetting provisions and benefits that recognize the unparalleled promotional value of radio airplay. NAB offered a legislative package to resolve this issue last year, which was summarily rejected by the musicFirst Coalition. Our offer still stands." Glowing endorsements of radio's help from recording artists followed. That letter was sent two weeks ago. Just one week earlier a non-binding House resolution opposing a performance fee was introduced. Inside Radio now reports that the number of lawmakers who've signed on has doubled and the number is expected to climb with Congress back in session...

The music industry's cause wasn't helped one bit by this week's announcement of digital royalty distributions topping $252 million. These royalties come from webcasting, satellite radio, television music channels and similar streaming platforms. SoundExchange President Michael Huppe was doing cartwheels: "The royalty pay-out increases reflect several trends: the success and growth of streaming services; increased awareness among artists and copyright holders of the need to register with SoundExchange to claim royalty payments; and improved processing of previously unpayable balances through data clean-up. New registrants are still able to collect several years of back royalties, often resulting in large first-time payouts." Huppe also pointed to the rising subscribership of digital music services like Pandora and Sirius XM as a source of increasing revenues...

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't these fees go to music artists? The answer to that question is that compared to the prior year, the average payment for artists was up 80% (to $2,800); for rights holders it was up 39% (to more than $14,000). And oh, by the way, SoundExchange's overall distributions in its first decade has reached over $600 million, according to Radio World. Anyone have a problem with that???

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1951] I spy: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage for passing nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. A charge denied by their children…
2.1959] When you’re hot you’re hot: “Some Like It Hot” starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon premieres…
3.1962] I kid you not: Jack Paar hosts NBC’s “Tonight Show” for the last time. Here's Jack with Johnny Carson...
4.1971] Guilty as charged: Lt. William Calley Jr. is found guilty of premeditated murder of at least 22 Vietnamese civilians and is sentenced to life in prison. Calley wins a court case and is paroled. He now lives free in Columbus (GA)…
5.1971] Death rap: A jury in Los Angeles recommends the death penalty for Charles Manson and 3 female followers for the 1969 Tate - Lo Bianca murders. His sentence is commuted to life in prison in San Quentin, where he resides today…
6.1973] Turn out the lights: The last United States troops leave South Vietnam ending America’s direct military involvement in the war there…
7.1974] Four dead in O-Hi-O: Eight Ohio National Guardsmen are indicted on charges stemming from the shooting death of 4 Kent State students in May of 1970. All are later acquitted and released…
8.1992] Uh-huh: Candidate Bill Clinton acknowledges experimenting with marijuana “a time or two” but says “I didn’t inhale and I didn’t try it again”…
9.2002] An enemy of the state: Israel declares Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat an enemy and sends tanks and armored personnel carriers to fully isolate him at his headquarters in the West Bank…
10.2005] “Happy Trails“: O.J. Simpson attorney Johnnie Cochran dies from an inoperable brain tumor at 67…

Music Memories:

(WRKO...The Launch (Part 21) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...

In sports, a team manager or coach is as good as his or her team. In radio, a station is only as good as its general manager and WRKO had one of the best in Perry S. Ury. Perry's personality and will to win filtered down through all of us. I can honestly say I never worked for a better GM. While some general managers believe in a hands-on approach, Perry knew how to delegate responsibility to his department managers. Perry summed up his feelings about WRKO's success by saying this: "My memories of the transition from talk to our version of the Drake format was really historical. You guys in programming and promotion did such a professional job of tailoring the station musically and promotionally to Boston. I think the strike of the engineers helped even more. We proved that the music was the thing and that we could survive the strike if we gave our listeners what they wanted. At any rate, thankfully the jocks came back early and we of average talent (me) - could go back to desk jockeying rather than newscasting, although I will admit it was a real charge to go back to my roots in broadcasting. My best to all who made broadcasting in the late sixties so exciting at WRKO - Boston"...

Harvey Mednick, Promotions Director (click "Now Happenings" to see some of Harvey's promotions) of WRKO remembers his time in Boston: "WRKO was a true team effort and the unique mix of people and personalities contributed greatly to its success. In all the years that followed, at all the stations with which I was involved, there's never been a more diverse, yet united group than you, Bob (Henabery), Perry (Ury), Paul (Power), George (Capalbo), Bud (Simmen) and me, all committed to one simple mission: to create the most entertaining and innovative radio station Boston, and the industry has ever known. And with an unmatched singularity of purpose, an incredible amount of talent and a lot of hard work, we did it!"...

Paul Power, Music & Prod. Dir WRKO: "This was the greatest radio journey of my life, handling the music, production and assisting in programming this sitting 50,000 watt "Rig" (quoting J.J. Jeffrey here), taking it from worst to first in just a few months. As a 10-year old kid bitten by the radio bug and listening to the radio greats from 1955 on, and also growing up less than a mile from where WRKO would move in '68 (short commute), I will forever feel honored and indebted to Mel, Perry and all my other friends who helped me realize this dream!"...

(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - Part 22: More quotes from Management)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": Jennifer Capriati (35), Lara Logan (40), Lucy Lawless (43), John Popper (44), Elle Macpherson (48), Walt "Clyde" Frazier (66), Terry Jacks (67), Vangelis (68), Eric Idle (68) and John McLaughlin (84)...

Timeline Countdown: 2 days until MLB Openers, 4 days until Final Four, 21 days until Passover & 27 days until Easter...
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