| CMU Daily - on the inside Tuesday 13th May |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- More EMI departures
- Sony Award round up
- Dolly Parton pays tribute to Dottie Rambo
- PETA call for DMX to be jailed
- Suge Knight club fight details emerge
- Album review: Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
- Zak Starkey quits Oasis
- Mills and McCartney officially divorce
- Dirty Pretty Things free download
- Ned's Atomic Dustbin to reform
- Metallica launch new content-heavy website
- R Kelly jury selection begins
- Free Collapsing Cities
- Pigeon Detectives cancel shows after injury
- RCA ask for gig audience demos
- Madonna eats food and swears
- Piney Gir stages breast cancer fundraiser
- Single review: Bob Sinclair Presents Fireball - What I Want
- Nowack on jobs
- AEG launches new partnerships division
- TVT up for sale
- Universal man to get Music Industry Trusts' Award
- New CEO at Bravado
- Stupak promoted to US-wide EMI development role
- PPL revenues pass 100 million
- All new Q Radio coming soon - REM to appear at launch
- Clear Channel takeover may go ahead
- Wentz and Simpson's Gremlins wedding
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TOP BIT
Hello there, and welcome to this sunny edition of the CMU Daily. Yes, sunny. We've arranged the binary code behind this email in such a way so that it is officially summery.
A very quick Top Bit today, mainly to mention properly what we plugged in passing at the bottom of yesterday's CMU Daily. We, Team CMU, have just started blogging for Yahoo! Music. We've resisted blogging for years because we do one bit of the blog thing anyway - rant about things on the net - and the other bit, you know, inviting people to respond and disagree and pull to pieces our arguments, well, why would we want to do that? We're always right about everything anyway, so there'd never be any need.
No, not really, we love finding out what you out there in CMU land think about the topics we report and rant on, we've just never got round to providing an official platform for you to do so, which is why we're more than slightly excited about our new blog. You can go check it, and comment on yesterday's Top Bit, at this URL. We'll let you know when future CMU rants are up for dissection on the blog.
http://new.uk.music.yahoo.com/blogs/cmu_blog
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CMU AT THE GREAT ESCAPE - THIS THURSDAY
The Great Escape, the three day music convention for music business types, takes place in Brighton this week. Don't forget that CMU will be running some events on day one at The Globe pub just round the corner from the main convention venue. Line up as follows...
12.30-2.00pm - CMU & unicornjobs.com Guide To Making It In Music
A beginners guide to working in or with the music business, for anyone looking to work in the industry, or hoping to make it as an artist. Find out how the music industry works, what jobs are available, and who aspiring artists should be looking to meet, and where they'll find them. Run by Chris Cooke, Co-founder and Editor of music business news service the CMU Daily, and Publisher of unicornjobs.com, the new graduate careers website. To come to this free workshop just email your name and number to [email protected]
2.30-5.30pm - CMU-Tube from the Great Escape
Come and hear from artists and industry people who are appearing elsewhere at The Great Escape this year. CMU Daily Editor Chris Cooke will be interviewing both artists and industry people for the all new CMU-Tube video clip service, coming soon to the CMU Music Network website. Any Great Escape wristband holders are welcome to come and nosey, and even throw in some questions.
6pm-8pm - Come Say Hello to CMU
Come meet us. Yes, us. And we'll tell you all about our tenth birthday celebrations, which will take place over Summer 2008.
To buy your tickets for The Great Escape, go to this URL:
http://www.escapegreat.com/buyTickets/
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JOBS N STUFF
FABRIC PRESS DEPARTMENT
We are looking for someone to join us within the fabric Press Department. We're looking for someone who has a few years experience within a London/UK music based PR agency or in-house department; experience in plugging/managing radio campaigns (London, national, regional & international experience all advantageous); who understands radio globally and has contacts appropriate to fabric within radio - online, digital, commercial, pirate, community, government subsidised radio, podcasts; has experience with print/online/digital PR campaigns (London, national, regional, student & international experience all advantageous); has experience with industry, trade, internal business, corporate and event press (advantageous but not essential); has strong copy writing skills; is friendly, passionate, savvy, honest, hard working, highly organised, very diligent and a completer finisher; has very strong administrational and organisational skills, is computer literate and numerate; is extremely flexible in time and outlook; has a good understanding of electronic music and knows what fabric's ethos is. Salary to commensurate on experience; start date is immediate. Please send CV and covering letter emailed to Pearl Jones - [email protected] Closing date for applicants: 5pm Wednesday May 21, 2008.
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INTERNSHIPS N STUFF
HELP! WE NEED HELP!
Intern wanted for 360 degree young, successful and friendly music company. Label, music publisher and management company with international success and rapidly expanding roster in indie pop / alt-country genres seeks bright spark with a thirst for knowledge and a great sense of humour. Get your hands dirty and in return you'll learn about every aspect of the music industry and we'll get your travel / lunch. SE London near New Cross. Hours to suit min 16 p/w. In 100 words, tell Nathaniel why it should be you at [email protected]
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CMU CLASSIFIEDS
DESK SPACE. £60 P/W. SE LONDON. NR NEW CROSS.
Music company has desk space for up to 2 desks in beautiful grade 2 listed building. Includes all bills and reasonable use of phone and unlimited cable broadband internet. Bright room divided by mezzanine with nice carpets, central heating, kitchen and bathroom. Would suit nice people in media / arts based businesses who like topping up the biscuit barrel! Contact Nathaniel at n[email protected]
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SNAP OF THE DAY: THE COSHERCOT HONEYS
New Zealanders The Coshercot Honeys sit happily in the retro end of the indie spectrum, mastering the formation of raucous and jangly pop that would be as at home as the soundtrack to a particularly fast-paced Western as it would in the pages of the NME. 'We're All Lions', their signature tune and recent single, takes in the keyboard hooks of The Stranglers, the insistent guitar sound of 70's New Yorkers Television and taut, close-to-a-yelp vocals. Admittedly there's nothing groundbreaking, but a few more hit tunes and perhaps we could expect a little something from the Auckland five-piece. Find four of their finest at MySpace, linked below.
http://www.myspace.com/thecoshercothoneys
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MORE EMI DEPARTURES
People keep asking me, often with an inappropriately excitable glint in their eye, when the big cull is going to happen at EMI. As much previously reported, the major's chief, Guy Hands, has said he'll cut a third of the company's workforce in the first half of this year, and it is assumed that almost all those cuts will come from recorded music, with an especially high portion from its staff-heavy UK operations. While there have been some cuts on the edges already, and much moving around at the senior exec level, the big redundancies, which are expected to occur overnight, are yet to happen, and the first half of 2008 is fast running out.
Whether yesterday's EMI news is an indication the big cull is getting closer I don't know, but it was almost dramatic. The main news story of the day involved Ferdy Unger-Hamilton, who heads up Virgin UK, and whose role at the major was seemingly secured last month when it was announced that Virgin would remain one of the company's two frontline divisions in the UK (along with Parlophone, putting a question mark over the future of the major's other two frontline divisions EMI and Angel).
But yesterday it was confirmed Unger-Hamilton had quit. Given his departure follows the major's announcement last month that he would be playing a role in the all-new EMI, and given that the company hasn't officially commented on his decision to leave (no "great contribution to the firm" quote from Hands), he might be quitting in protest at the way the record company's restructuring is being managed.
As it was revealed that Unger-Hamilton quit, Music Week also revealed that Terry Felgate and Mark Collen, who headed up the now defunct EMI Records and Angel divisions, and who were said to be "considering other positions" when it was announced their divisions would go, have left the major. Given the departure of EMI UK chief Tony Wadsworth earlier in the year, that means that pretty much every senior exec from the UK bit of the major has now gone - with the exception of Parlophone's Miles Leonard who, as far as I'm aware, is still commuting to Brook Green each morning.
Unger-Hamilton wasn't the only senior departure from EMI confirmed by Music Week yesterday. They also reported that Senior VP Commercial Mike McMahon has left - his role will be taken over by VP Business Development Matthew Crosswaite.
And that, I think, is it for now. But I suspect we'll be leading with more EMI cuts in the coming month - I sense the axe may be about to drop bigtime.
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SONY AWARD ROUND UP
On to happier matters. Well, happy for the winners.
It was the radio industry's big night out last night - the Sony Awards - and, as usual, many of the big winners came from the BBC, with Russell Brand, Chris Moyles, Simon Mayo and Jonathan Ross all taking awards for their respective shows on Radios 2, 1, 5 and 2. Radio 4, meanwhile, was named UK Station Of The Year, while departing BBC radio chief Jenny Abramsky was give a Special Award. The BBC World Service, meanwhile, won four awards, including News Journalist Of The Year for Owen Bennett-Jones and Best News And Current Affairs Programme for 'Newshour'.
Just in case you wondered if commercial radio stations were capable of winning awards when the BBC is also a contender well, yes, they can. The commercial sector took four of the other station awards and officially ran the best competition of the last year, so that's good. One of the winning commercial stations was Planet Rock, which commercial radio group GCap is currently considering closing down. Which is slightly ironic.
Anyway, the full list of Gold winners this year was as follows...
People Awards
Music Radio Personality Of The Year: Jonathan Ross/BBC Radio 2
Rising Star Award: George Lamb, 6 Music
Speech Broadcaster of the Year: Simon Mayo/BBC 5 Live
Entertainment Award: Russell Brand/BBC Radio 2
Breakfast Show Award: Chris Moyles/BBC Radio 1
Music Broadcaster Of The Year: Andi Durrant/Galaxy
News Journalist Of The Year: Owen Bennett-Jones/BBC World Service
Programmer Of The Year: Mary Kalemkerian/BBC 7
Show Awards
Drama Award: Q&A/BBC Radio 4
Comedy Award: Down The Line/BBC Radio 4
Live Event Coverage Award: Gosnold 400/BBC Radio Suffolk
News & Current Affairs Award: Newshour/BBC World Service
Sports Programme Award: All The Tickets Are In The Wrong Hands/Radio City
Music Programme Award: Dermot O'Leary/BBC Radio 2
Specialist Music Programme Award: Friday Night Floorfillers/Forth One
Music Special Award: Feelgood Factor/BBC Radio 2
Speech Programme Award: Saturday Live/BBC Radio 4
Feature Award: Malcolm McLaren's Life & Times In LA/BBC Radio 2
Internet Programme Award: Book Slam Podcast/Karen P Productions
Multiplatform Radio Award: Bangladesh Boat Project/BBC World Service
Listener Participation Award: World Have Your Say/BBC World Service
News Awards
News Feature Award: Britain's Missing Girls/BBC Asian Network
Breaking News Award: Omagh Fire Tragedy/BBC Radio Ulster
Community Award: Lights Out London/Capital 95.8
Marketing Awards
Competition Award: Sell Me The Answer/Key 103
Promo Award: Green Project/Radio Aire
Station Imaging Award: Magic 105.4
Station Awards
Digital Station of the Year: Planet Rock
Station of the Year Award (TSA under 300,000): Silk FM
Station of the Year (TSA 300,000 - 1million): GWR Bristol
Station of the Year (TSA over 1 million): Key 103
UK Station of the Year: BBC Radio 4
Special Awards
Local and Regional Lifetime Achievement Award: Eamonn Mallie/Downtown Radio
Gold Award: Brian Matthew/BBC Radio 2
Special Award: Jenny Abramsky/BBC Audio & Music
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DOLLY PARTON PAYS TRIBUTE TO DOTTIE RAMBO
Dolly Parton has paid tribute to US gospel singer Dottie Rambo, who died on Sunday, after her tour bus crashed. Seven others were injured in the crash, which happened en route to a concert in Texas. Parton said the 74 year old singer was "a dear friend, a fellow entertainer, and as of late my duet singing partner. I know Dottie is in heaven in the arms of God right now, but our Earth angel will surely be missed".
Rambo was a prolific songwriter, writing and co-writing up to 2500 songs in her career, and recording hundreds too. She won various awards, including the Best Soul Gospel Performance Grammy in 1968, the ASCAP Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter's Hall Of Fame last year.
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PETA CALL FOR DMX TO BE JAILED
Animal rights organisation PETA has written to Maricopa County Attorney Andrew P. Thomas urging him to "vigorously prosecute" rapper DMX over those previously reported animal cruelty charges.
As we reported yesterday, a seven month investigation into the rapper, real name Earl Simmons, led to him being charged with several counts of animal cruelty and drug possession, after a police raid on his home recovered five, apparently mistreated, pitbull puppies and various weapons and drugs.
PETA are now calling on others to contact Thomas, requesting Simmons be prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law". A spokesperson for PETA told AllHipHop.com: "Simmons appears to be either unable or unwilling to provide even the most basic care for animals. People who demonstrate such blatant disregard for life and desensitization to suffering can pose a serious risk to all animals - including humans - with whom they come into contact".
In the letter, signed by Peter Wood, a Cruelty Caseworker in PETA's Cruelty Investigations Department Emergency Response Team, the organisation says: "Mental health professionals and top law enforcement officials consider cruelty to animals to be a red flag. ... Experts agree that it is the severity of the behavior - not the species of the victim - that matters. ... We respectfully urge your office to prosecute Simmons to the fullest extent of the law. ... We implore your office to take every measure necessary to ensure that Simmons, if convicted, is barred from owning or harboring animals for as long as possible. We ask also that if convicted, he serve a meaningful period of incarceration and be required to undergo a thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counselling at his own expense".
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SUGE KNIGHT CLUB FIGHT DETAILS EMERGE
More details of that previously reported fracas in which hip hop mogul Suge Knight was knocked unconscious are beginning to emerge, thanks to a number of witnesses, who have been talking to AllHipHop.com.
Sources told the website that Knight and four or five men were beating another unknown man outside Shag Nightclub in Hollywood. Knight apparently noticed another man filming the fight on his mobile phone. Knight got this man in a headlock, but he broke free and ran off. A few minutes later, he return in his car, taking a "pole-like object" from the boot and then striking Knight on the back of the head.
A witness told AllHipHop.com: "Blood started gushing everywhere. He sat on the sidewalk unconscious for several minutes. It's hard to see from the photos online, but there was a nasty gash on the back of his head".
Knight was treated at a local hospital but refused to involve police in the matter.
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ALBUM REVIEW: Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours (Modular)
Cut Copy sound like they may have once been a mediocre indie band who, after discovering any combination of the joys of synthesizers, drugs and dancing, promptly became rather good indeed. Whereas most electronic pop of the last few years has taken the early 80s as its key influence, for the Australian group's second album, the key reference points are the late 80s and early 90s. 'In Ghost Colours' channels indie-dance's wide-eyed euphoria with shoegazing's dreamy somnambulism, promptly producing an album with choruses to die for that seems to get better with every listen. If you had to pick a single group to reference it would be New Order (specifically circa 'Technique'), in its mixing of traditional indie rock with lush, glistening electronic textures. Whilst 'Unforgettable' (with some Peter Hook-style bass that crops up elsewhere too) sounds like Ride on ecstasy (which was probably the intention), 'So Haunted', with its jagged guitar lines, starts like a classic piece of Peel/Lamacq-endorsed early 90s indie (though groups in those days never produced choruses as brilliantly delirious as CC manage) before unexpectedly detouring to Ibiza for a sun-kissed holiday romance which recalls some lost counterpart to NO's 'Mr Disco'. Positively shimmering from start to finish, 'In Ghost Colours' is a richly rewarding listen and another triumph from Modular. MS
Release Date: 12 May
Press Contact: Darling [all]
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ZAK STARKEY QUITS OASIS
According to The Sun, Oasis drummer Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr, of course) has left the band due to disagreements with Noel Gallagher. The report claims that he has completed work on the new album, but will not be involved in its promotion.
A source 'close' the band, told The Sun: "There have been arguments with Noel Gallagher and general disagreements. It looks like the album will be his last involvement with the band".
The band are yet to officially confirm or deny Starkey's departure.
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MILLS AND MCCARTNEY OFFICIALLY DIVORCE
Paul McCartney and Heather Mills officially divorced yesterday after High Court judge Mr Justice Bennett pronounced their marriage "decree nisi" (that's "completely and utterly over" in layman's terms) on the grounds that they had been separated for two years.
Neither McCartney nor Mills were in court to hear the ruling, and neither legal team made any official comment. This ruling now allows Mills to receive the £23.4 million settlement she was awarded in March.
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DIRTY PRETTY THINGS FREE DOWNLOAD
"You can't escape the fact that big name, big money bands who release their stuff for free are harming the scene". That's what Carl Barat was saying just last week. So, you might be surprised to learn that his band Dirty Pretty Things have made a song from their new album available for free.
The song, 'Hippy Son', is taken from the band's second album 'Romance At Short Notice', and is available now from http://www.dirtyprettythingsband.com.
The album will be released on 30 Jun, preceded by the first official single 'Tired Of England' on 23 Jun.
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NED'S ATOMIC DUSTBIN TO REFORM
The original line-up of Ned's Atomic Dustbin will reform this September for a one-off show in London to mark their 21st anniversary. It will be the first time Jonn Penney (vocals), Gareth "Rat" Pring (guitar), Matt Cheslin (bass), Alex Griffin (bass) and Dan Warton (drums) have performed together since their split in 1995.
The band will play the Astoria on 6 Sep, with tickets going on sale this Friday. They are also rumoured to be working on new material.
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METALLICA LAUNCH NEW CONTENT-HEAVY WEBSITE
Metallica have officially launched their previously reported 'Mission: Metallica' website, through which they are giving fans access to video footage of the band writing and recording their new album, riffs and excerpts from new songs, live tracks, photos and the chance to win backstage passes to their upcoming tour dates, as well as promising much more over the coming months.
Much of the content is free, but for those of you who still need more Metallica, you can sign up for "Mission: Metallica Platinum" membership, which will get you a copy of the new album delivered to your door the day it comes out, even more studio footage, even more photos, ringtones of riffs from the new album, full live show downloads, competitions and more. No word yet on how much this will cost, but you can register your interest at http://www.missionmetallica.com/
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R KELLY JURY SELECTION BEGINS
R Kelly was in court yesterday as jury selection began for his upcoming child pornography trial. Attorneys on both sides, and the judge, will question 150 potential candidates on their knowledge of the allegations against the singer and their opinion of him, in a bid to find 12 jurors and four substitutes that both sides consider acceptable.
As we have reported at length, Kelly is accused of 14 counts of making child pornography relating to a video that allegedly shows him engaging in sex acts with a 14 year old girl. The singer has pleaded not guilty to the charges. When the trial gets under way, his defence is expected to concentrate on the fact that the girl prosecutors say is in the video denies that it is her. Kelly and his lawyer have also, as yet, not conceded that it is the singer in the video, either.
During the selection process, Kelly apparently remained poker-faced, appearing to scan the faces of potential jurors and occasionally speaking to his lawyers.
Lawyer Steve Cron, who is not working on the case, told reporters: "In a case where a celebrity has good and bad public images, [jury selection is] critical".
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FREE COLLAPSING CITIES
We're hearing good stuff about New Zealand band Collapsing Cities, who will be supporting Black Kids here in the UK very soon. I'm telling you this because if you fancy checking them out you can download one of their tracks for free (and at 320kbps - a pretty good bit-rate, remembering yesterday's Top Bit) from Tune Tribe. Follow this link for a free download of their debut single 'Fear Of Opening My Mouth'...
http://www.tunetribe.com/Article?article_id=2065
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PIGEON DETECTIVES CANCEL SHOWS AFTER INJURY
The Pigeon Detectives have postponed two gigs in Ireland this week after frontman Matt Bowman injured his leg during the band's performance at last weekend's Radio 1 Big Weekend.
Bowman injured his leg during their performance of new single 'Emergency' but continued to jump around on it until the end of the band's set, when he was rushed to hospital. He was eventually transferred to Leeds for further treatment, but narrowly avoided emergency surgery.
In a statement, the band said: "[Matt] has suffered some ligament damage to his leg but is being treated back in Leeds by ex-Leeds United currently Chelsea head pyhsio Dave Hancock who reckons Matt should be feeling much better soon. We'll update post an update on this as soon as we have more news. Apologies to our fans that have bought tickets to either Dublin or Belfast shows we will be looking to reschedule these as soon as possible".
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RCA ASK FOR GIG AUDIENCE DEMOS
SonyBMG label RCA have announced a competition for new bands that will kick off at the RCA Live 1 event at IndigO2 in London on 28 May.
The event, which will feature performances from The Hoosiers, Sandi Thom, Beat Company, Suga Rush, Sam Beeton and The Script, will also have a "demo drop" stand, where aspiring artists can submit their own music. All demos will be listened to by the label's A&R team and the band judged the best will win a day in a recording studio with a top producer.
RCA MD Craig Logan said: "RCA are constantly looking for great artists and great songs... We have a large and eclectic roster and we will consider music from any genre".
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MADONNA EATS FOOD AND SWEARS
Madonna set a bad example for her newly adopted son at Radio 1's One Big Weekend on Saturday by swearing on stage, making ridiculous demands and allowing her entourage to eat food meant for other artists.
During her six song set at the free event, which was broadcast live on Radio 1 and BBC 3, the singer told the crowd: "You guys are going to have to start fucking it up out there 'cos I need to feel some love. I'm going to do an old song. But not too old. Fuck the present. Let's live in the past".
Presenter Zane Lowe was the forced to apologise. Although, given that Madonna has a bit of a history of swearing on live TV, people probably shouldn't have been surprised.
However, this wasn't the only thing that got people's backs up. According to The Mirror she demanded to be flown to Mote Park in Kent, where the event was held, by private helicopter, despite it only being 37 miles from her London home, and had a 70-strong entourage, who ate all the food meant for other artists on the bill.
Jon Fratelli of The Fratellis told the paper: "Who does Madonna think she is? I'm not into all this - we're here to perform together. What happened to rock n' roll? Why is she even here? Everything has been changed around just for her and her ridiculous entourage".
Madonna wasn't the only person in people's bad books, though. Usher also managed to annoy the Maidstone audience by arriving on stage and shouting, "Hello Manchester!"
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PINEY GIR STAGES BREAST CANCER FUNDRAISER
A charity event in aid of Breast Cancer Care will take place at the Betsy Trotswood in Farringdon on 24 May, organised by that Piney Gir. It will be called Breastival (though is nothing to do with the tent of the same name at Bestival), and will feature sets from Harvey Half Devoured, Ginger Tom and Betty And The Werewolves. Gig goers will also be encouraged to design their own bra, which sounds like a fun Bank Holiday weekend pursuit to me. Tickets will be a fiver on the door.
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SINGLE REVIEW: Bob Sinclar presents Fireball - What I Want (Ministry/Data Records)
'What I Want' has been a massive hit all around Europe for months, and is now here to no doubt take over our radios. Unfortunately. This song's infectious staccato vocal hook and fast-paced rhythms are not even regular dance chart cheese on toast. The cheese is stuck in your throat, the toast is burnt, and the smoke alarm has woken up the neighbours. The best thing about all of this is the video, laden with bronzed, gyms-r-us ladies squirting mustard onto hot dogs and pouring water all over themselves. Feel free to join the five million plus YouTube viewers, but I would suggest turning the volume right down. CS
Release date: 12 May (download)/19 May (physical)
Press contact: Data IH [all]
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NOWACK ON JOBS
Canadian music entrepreneur Steven Nowack writes about Apple and its boss Steve Jobs on Wired.com: "Steve Jobs - quote me - does not give a shit about music. Because what he's done is bifurcated the music business. No longer is the test of an artist's work the embodiment of an album, what is considered as consumable are single songs, and that's because of the Apple platform. He's a genius, the only thing he cares about is selling his platform". We all know what bifurcated means right?
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AEG LAUNCHES NEW PARTNERSHIPS DIVISION
Live music conglom and Dome owner AEG have set up a new division called AEG Global Partnerships, which basically amounts to an expansion of the firm's sponsorship efforts. The new division is expected to bring in some $250 million in sponsorship this year alone, which is pretty good going. Quite a bit of that will come from title right sponsorship - ie the renaming of venues to take in a sponsor's name, a practice which sometimes works (like AEG's The O2) but sometimes just sounds ridiculous and pisses off the music fans the sponsors are presumably looking to engage.
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TVT UP FOR SALE
US indie TVT, currently going through bankruptcy, reportedly owes $24 million to its creditors, which is quite a lot. Bids are now being taken to buy the label in a bid to raise some money to pay off those debts, and according to the New York Post a bid headed up by hedge fund chap Daniel Zwim is favourite to take the label. TVT founder and chief Steve Gottlieb, who is unlikely to be taken on by the indie's new owners, has told reporters: "I just want to make sure my artists are taken care of and I do right by my creditors". However, one of his artists, Pitbull, has told fans not to buy his 2007 TVT album 'The Boatlift', on the basis any profits generated from it will be swallowed up by the label's creditors.
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UNIVERSAL MAN TO GET MUSIC INDUSTRY TRUSTS' AWARD
Universal Music International top man Lucian Grainge will be presented with the Music Industry Trusts' Award later this year, which is nice. For him. He will be presented with the gong, past winners of which include industry types like George Martin, Harvey Goldsmith and the late Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun, at London's Grosvenor House on 3 Nov.
David Munns, who heads up the Awards Committee, said yesterday: "In an era when the music business is under so much pressure, it is a joy to give this award to someone who is on top of his game. Lucian has been responsible for bringing so many new artists to the fore, and he is proof of the creativity, determination and fidelity to music which are at the heart of our industry".
Grainge himself told CMU: "This recognition is an honour, and one for me to share with the many artists, colleagues and friends who have been at the centre of my professional and personal life for the past 30 years. I'm proud that music is the only industry I have ever worked in. Music has given me opportunity and fulfilment beyond measure, and I'm grateful for that".
The Music Industry Trusts' Award is a charity event designed to support Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and the BRIT Trust.
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NEW CEO AT BRAVADO
Talking of Universal Music, the major has announced that it has promoted Tom Bennett to become CEO of Bravado, the merchandising bit of Sanctuary Music, which, of course, the major acquired last year. Bennett previously headed up Bravado's US division, and will continue to be based in New York.
In a busy day for giving quotes, Grainge said on the appointment: "Music merchandising is now on the world stage. And Bravado defines and shapes this business. Fortunately, Tom's experience and tenure with Bravado will ensure that the company's legacy and future are assured".
Bennett himself said this: "Bravado, because of its great history, is already positioned at the forefront of the music merchandising business. With the added support of Universal Music Group's resources and global reach, Bravado will grow and lead in this sector as never before. We have decades of experience and a world-class artist roster that's second to none. With fresh investment and renewed purpose, Bravado will create and deliver innovative products and customised ideas to ever-expanding territories to maximise each artist's - and each brand's - merchandising potential and revenue. I am confident that Bravado will continue to be the market leader".
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STUPAK PROMOTED TO US-WIDE EMI DEVELOPMENT ROLE
Some more exec changes, this time from EMI US, which are a bit boring compared to the many departures revealed yesterday at EMI UK. But let's cover them anyway. Darren Stupak has been promoted to the job of SVP Sales & Commercial Development for the whole of EMI Music North America - he will report to the regional division's Commercial Development President Ronn Were and its overall President Colin Finkelstein.
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PPL REVENUES PASS 100 MILLION
Recording royalty collection types PPL yesterday published their financial results for 2007, and revealed that their annual income passed £100 million for the first time, which is just swell. Of the £115 million in royalty revenues collected on behalf of their members, £56.8 million came from the broadcast domain, £49 million from public performance and dubbing, and £9.1 million from international income.
PPL chief Fran Nevrkla says this: "I am delighted that in 2007 we have been able to deliver yet another set of excellent results in spite of rather difficult business environment. We shall continue making every effort to ensure that the rights which the performers and the record companies have kindly vested in us are enforced, licensed and monetised at the highest appropriate and commercially acceptable levels".
The results will be formally presented at PPL's AGM on 4 Jun at the British Museum, at which Culture minister Andy Burnham will speak. Presumably the plan is to politely listen to his speech then lock him in a cupboard until he agrees to an extension of the recording copyright term.
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ALL NEW Q RADIO COMING SOON - REM TO APPEAR AT LAUNCH
Bauer's all new Q Radio, which will be broadcasting from 2 Jun, will launch with those REM chaps playing some songs. Bosses have also confirmed that former Xfm presenter Samanthi will front their daily evening show to be called QPM.
Former 6Music chap Ric Blaxill, who is Programme Director for the all new Q Radio, says this: "We are working with a variety of established and new artists to provide us with exclusive content which is testimony to the power of the Q brand. There will be exclusive live sets which only Q could secure, alongside unique opportunities for the audiences to interact with our presenters and the bands themselves - not to mention the most innovative, informed and considered music and some cracking lifestyle and entertainment features. Q Radio will be a 24/7 living, breathing version of Q magazine - and some!". No word on whether faked phone ins will be part of the mix, hope so, I love them.
On a commercial level, Q Radio will adopt the 'commercial partnership' (basically sponsorship) approach over traditional radio ads, a system used on sister station Heat Radio. Q Radio Sales Director Karen Stacey explains: "As we successfully achieved with Heat Radio, we are offering advertisers exclusive partnerships with Q Radio which will allow them to embed messages within bespoke programming in an uncluttered environment with the option of extending this across the Q brand. We are offering exclusivity and flexibility within a creative and content-rich environment which will target a quality and growing audience".
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CLEAR CHANNEL TAKEOVER MAY GO AHEAD
The change of ownership at US radio giant Clear Channel may go ahead as originally planned. As previously reported, attempts by private equity types Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H Lee Partners (the latter major shareholders in Warner Music) to buy Clear Channel have proved tortuous firstly because it took a long time to persuade the company's existing shareholders to sell and, by the time they had, the good old credit crunch had, erm, crunched, and the banks who had promised to fund the takeover changed their minds.
Bain, Thomas Lee and Clear Channel themselves are now suing the banks to force them to stump up the cash. But the Wall Street Journal has reported that an out of court settlement may now be reached between the equity firms and the banks allowing the takeover to go ahead.
Though the deal with the banks would mean the overall price the equity types would be able to pay for the radio conglom would fall a little. Given the economic situation that is probably to be expected, but I'm not clear whether those original Clear Channel shareholders [a] have to accept the lower price or, if not, [b] will do so.
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WENTZ AND SIMPSON's GREMLINS WEDDING
Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz has joked that his wedding to singer Ashlee Simpson would be themed on the film 'Gremlins 2'. "We could have it take place in a mall and there could be little green naked monsters running about! We could even have Gizmo as a guest!".