Post by DRL on Jul 30, 2006 11:26:36 GMT -5
Published Thursday, July 27, 2006
Clear Channel Screws Us All
By Bill Dean
The Ledger
Even when it comes to the concert business, the corporate nut doesn't fall far from the tree.
Just when the allegations against Clear Channel Entertainment seemed to match the weight of its annual billion dollar -- yes, billion dollar -- concert grosses, parent company Clear Channel Communications decided to sell off its concert division.
That was after allegations and lawsuits that accused the company of trying to destroy its competitors, and using its Clear Channel radio stations to deep-six airplay of acts that didn't use the company's promoter services or concert venues.
At that point, Clear Channel -- the country's largest concert promoter, the largest owner of concert venues and the largest owner of radio stations that promoted and solicited advertising for those same concerts -- had enough market dominance and anti-trust allegations to make Microsoft look like a chain of lemonade stands.
So, in an apparent attempt to make the problems and publicity go away, the music equivalent of the Evil Empire spun off its concert arm as a publicly traded company.
But just this month, that new company, Live Nation -- still the nation's largest promoter of concerts -- announced a deal to purchase the third largest promoter, HOB Entertainment, which owns amphitheaters and House of Blues across the country, including the one in Kissimmee.
Critics are again raising eyebrows at the news, arguing that as competition in the concert business decreases, ticket prices will inevitably increase.
Live Nation, however, has kept itself busy buying another segment of the music business: It recently announced buying a majority stake of one of the nation's largest music-apparel merchandisers, TRUNK LTD.
Trunk owns the apparel licenses for such artists as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Blondie and Jimi Hendrix, among others.
There is one wee solace in all this: At least Hendrix won't be working for The Man by performing at Live Nation venues and using its promoters.
SONGS OF ILL REPUTE
As if falling all over themselves to show how just desperate, out of touch and ethically challenged they are, the major record labels are now sinking to a new low in admitting their music is just another commodity -- and willing to sell it as such.
Actually, only one record company and one artist, so far, have adopted the operational ethics of a bordello. And they are Epic Records and Jessica Simpson, who are selling her latest single in "personalized" versions that allows fans to insert their own name in the song.
Epic's new "Custom Cuts" lets buyers, I mean fans, purchase the song (at music.yahoo. com/jessicafor you) from a list of 500 names.
Three shout-out "holes" in the tune allow the song to be prostituted, I mean purchased, and downloaded instantly on iPods and other portable players.
In a press release, Epic calls Simpson's song a new "summer smash." On Billboard's hot singles chart, however, it's been languishing at No. 38.
But that's No. 38 with a bullet, mind you. It really is the end of the world as we know it. And I don't feel so fine.
• Bill Dean can be reached at bill.dean@theledger.com
Clear Channel Screws Us All
By Bill Dean
The Ledger
Even when it comes to the concert business, the corporate nut doesn't fall far from the tree.
Just when the allegations against Clear Channel Entertainment seemed to match the weight of its annual billion dollar -- yes, billion dollar -- concert grosses, parent company Clear Channel Communications decided to sell off its concert division.
That was after allegations and lawsuits that accused the company of trying to destroy its competitors, and using its Clear Channel radio stations to deep-six airplay of acts that didn't use the company's promoter services or concert venues.
At that point, Clear Channel -- the country's largest concert promoter, the largest owner of concert venues and the largest owner of radio stations that promoted and solicited advertising for those same concerts -- had enough market dominance and anti-trust allegations to make Microsoft look like a chain of lemonade stands.
So, in an apparent attempt to make the problems and publicity go away, the music equivalent of the Evil Empire spun off its concert arm as a publicly traded company.
But just this month, that new company, Live Nation -- still the nation's largest promoter of concerts -- announced a deal to purchase the third largest promoter, HOB Entertainment, which owns amphitheaters and House of Blues across the country, including the one in Kissimmee.
Critics are again raising eyebrows at the news, arguing that as competition in the concert business decreases, ticket prices will inevitably increase.
Live Nation, however, has kept itself busy buying another segment of the music business: It recently announced buying a majority stake of one of the nation's largest music-apparel merchandisers, TRUNK LTD.
Trunk owns the apparel licenses for such artists as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Blondie and Jimi Hendrix, among others.
There is one wee solace in all this: At least Hendrix won't be working for The Man by performing at Live Nation venues and using its promoters.
SONGS OF ILL REPUTE
As if falling all over themselves to show how just desperate, out of touch and ethically challenged they are, the major record labels are now sinking to a new low in admitting their music is just another commodity -- and willing to sell it as such.
Actually, only one record company and one artist, so far, have adopted the operational ethics of a bordello. And they are Epic Records and Jessica Simpson, who are selling her latest single in "personalized" versions that allows fans to insert their own name in the song.
Epic's new "Custom Cuts" lets buyers, I mean fans, purchase the song (at music.yahoo. com/jessicafor you) from a list of 500 names.
Three shout-out "holes" in the tune allow the song to be prostituted, I mean purchased, and downloaded instantly on iPods and other portable players.
In a press release, Epic calls Simpson's song a new "summer smash." On Billboard's hot singles chart, however, it's been languishing at No. 38.
But that's No. 38 with a bullet, mind you. It really is the end of the world as we know it. And I don't feel so fine.
• Bill Dean can be reached at bill.dean@theledger.com