Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin’s $31 million pay package has fueled the critics who claim that a merger between XM and Sirius benefiting consumers is a MYTH and that the merger will enrich management rather than listeners.
Reducing shelf space at Walmart continues to be a growing concern in the music industry. Read KOAR’s previous post on the loss of space at Walmart.
Also…
EMI’s indie arm Caroline Distribution will be cutting its regional sales force.
Pop punk act Farewell who recently signed to Epitaph is looking for a booking agent. Email here for more information.
Kelly Clarkson is streaming new music at her myspace. The first single Never Again is a solid aggressive track.
As someone who works for the NAB and has been watching this all very closely, I agree the merger does nothing for consumers. Karmazin’s package is interesting perhaps, but the real issue is what it would do to terrestrial radio: Combined, the new company (XMirius?) would wield far more market power than any one company should. They’ll say that they’re not competing with our clients, they’re just selling radios — but that’s clearly not true. They’re going after the same advertisers, and they could have the power to set prices. That would be bad for everyone, except maybe Mr. Karmazin.
I don’t care who knows it- I LOVE Kelly Clarkson. She continues to impress me. For as silly as American Idol can be, they nailed it that first season. She’s the real deal.
but the real issue is what it would do to terrestrial radio”radio has done this to it self.Internet Radio.Satellite Radio,you guys brought this on your selves.but don’t mine me i’m just a former terrestrial radio LISTENER.
What was that Larry? Oh sorry .. I had ACDC blasting too loud on my terrestrial radio .. as I was just about to pop in real good / updated music that never gets played .. hence 10 Years / Red / Burn Season.
I can’t wait till they play Pearl Jam for the 50 time too .. I’m so excited .. maybe the 70th time .. I will hear a different drum pattern in Jeremy
How does XM/Sirius have any more market power than Clear Channel?
Frankly, if terrestrial radio were actually doing anything at all to actually attract and retain listeners, I’d have a bit more empathy. But seeing playlists get narrower and narrower, and seeing the stations have less and less locality focus at all — terrestrial radio brought it on itself. If there wasn’t demand for *better* radio, satellite radio wouldn’t be able to gain any traction.
Other than the earliest tech adopters, more people went satellite because the programming of terrestrial commercial radio, frankly, sucks.
I agree with all these statements about terrestrial radio going into the garbage can. They really did do this to themselves. And satellite isn’t their only competition. They have to compete with cds, iPods, and all other forms of entertainment people load into their cars these days.
The people with the most to lose in all of this seem to be the NAB which, is basically a shell for commercial radio. They seem (to me at least) to be the ones fighting this more than anyone else.
Make no mistake about it, they have people working for them to make sure this merger doesn’t happen as much as satellite has people working for it. There’s a reason this story was run when it was. Because that’s when it had the potential to be the most damaging to the cause for a merger. Someone’s publicist did a good job this week.
People always fight change at first but it’s pretty much inevitable in my mind. Terrestrial radio is doing exactly what the major labels did when downloading music first came into fasshion. They didn’t embrace it, just ignored it, then tried to squash it. Didn’t end up a favorable way for them and won’t for Terrestrial radio either.
REALMAD!
very funny and true.
The problem with the music industry is commercial RADIO with playlists not playing anything new.
I am over OZZY!!!!!!
DB
Realmad….you are too Cool..what no Metalica Mondays or 2 for tuesday or a triple play..eh..eh…it is to late for terrestrial radio.a couple of days ago seen a car commercial i think a Kia but the add shows an I-pod plug into the radio.Internet Radio is the only “outlaw” that will bring freedom to the masses!and it will take time, and can see that Internet Radio will have a fight.what was the film that a rock band took over a radio station so they could get thier song on the radio?well we are doing the same only with Internet Radio and Satelitte Radio.so terrestrial radio keep playing the same 30 songs and 20 minute commercials and sports and traffic and dumb ass giveaways oh and be sure when you have your local band radio show that it is on at 3.am on sunday morning.Terrestrial Radio your days are numbered no more Big Brother telling us what we have to listen to,the listeners have a choice and they are choosing with thier EARS and with thier POCKET BOOK…..POWER TO THE LISTENERS!!
where are the figures on terrestrial radio declining? All I hear/am reading are the sounds/words of self-righteous snobs who think they are winning some sort of prize.
I’m fully prepared to eat my words if you guys can show me that radio is dying/dead. IMHO, radio still decides what sells.
Seems like a lot of people at least respect Kelly Clarkson’s music. No explanation needed please but ya know, who would have thought?
“radio still decides what sells”… who cares?… the thing is you have to sell a dumpload of cds when your makeing chumpchange per cd. then again if youre making 8 or 9 bucks a cd because youre doing it yourself (without everyone else taking a dip) you dont have to sell that many to make a living. thats easier now than ever to do. the only people who should be sweating it are the people who are earning a cut of what an artist makes. that should be some motivation to gut the bloated budgets. artists dont want to do the business side of this industry but more and more they are or are turning to indie labels because big labels cant opperate at a responsible level.
i am a bit sad that there are no new van halens selling 75 million units and uniting a ton of people around a good band but who is main problem here? people are just as creative now as they ever were the thing thats changing is the business side of things.
if youre ( in general) one of the business men complaing about the artists now days –start fostering an evironment where it pays for a artists to be creative instead of relying on short term gains by generic music that appeals to the lowest common denominator. when that happens bands will quite trying to fit a mold/chasing fads in order to get attention and listeners will tune in again…. and buy.
Too late for terrestrial radio?! Please!
Terrestrial radio — which is free, by the way — provides local news, public service announcements and emergency alerts that satellite doesn’t.
And it needs to be able to continue that — the threat here is not obsolescence, but outdated FCC rules that make it more difficult for terrestrial to keep up.
Loosen the FCC ownership regulations, change the game.