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Tell Us Something We Don't Know
November 7, 2008
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"Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing."
-- German/U.S. rocket scientist Werner Von Braun, generally regarded as the as the father of the United States space program.As the media world goes through chaos and TV networks wonder if they will ever get big audiences back (no, they won't), this week a study lead by a behavioral scientist at RAND, and published in "Pediatrics," the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that "teenagers who watch 'Sex in the City,' 'Friends' and other TV shows featuring sex scenes and discussions of sex are far more likely to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant than their peers." (Source: http://tinyurl.com/565t4c )
The study, lead by Dr. Anita Chandra, said that sexual content on TV had doubled in recent years, coinciding with teenage pregnancy rates edging up after decades of decline.
I don't know how much money the RAND people spent on this research, but is this really news to anyone? Is it really news at all? I thought watching "Friends" just resulted in a lot of viewers getting very angry that none of them could afford a nice apartment like Phoebe, Ross, Joey, Rachel, Monica, et al, all had in New York City.
I had heard that watching "Sex In The City" resulted in an explosion in the retail female apparel market (and especially in Manolo Blahnik shoes and accessories), but I never heard about the rise in teen pregnancy rates.
I don't ever remember hearing that watching "Seinfield" increased the frequency of good friends spending more time than necessary at their local coffee shops, or that "The Sopranos" increased the number of Italian males seeking to join the mafia in New Jersey. But then again, I haven't seen the research on either of those scenarios.
Don't get me wrong, research can be a very good thing when used correctly to tell us something we DON'T already know. I remember some research firm got a lot of money from radio back in the '70s (uh-oh, dating myself here) to find out what the biggest tune-out on radio was. I remember almost every general manager and program director laughing aloud when they read that the research showed the biggest tune-out was (of course) commercials. I immediately started thinking about how I could create a research company that would enable me to make loads of money by telling people what they already knew. Of course I was too late; smarter people had beaten me to the punch. I think we usually refer to these people as "con men."
From Pali Research's Rich Greenfield this week comes this research, "The first four weeks of Q4 2008 have seen CD sales fall about 23% in total (down 26% excluding last week's AC/DC exclusive that did not benefit the major record labels, nor retailers beyond Wal-Mart), compared to the 16%-18% declines experienced during the first three quarters of 2008 and last year's full-year decline of 19%. The accelerating rate of decline for CDs combined with the slowing growth of digital unit sales has resulted in Q4 total unit sales declining 11.6% compared to the 5%-7% declines experienced in Q1-Q3 2008 and is similar to the 11.3% decline experienced in Q4 2007."
Greenfield also said, "The combination of Wal-Mart significantly scaling back its CD section and the potential bankruptcy of top-10 U.S. music retailer Circuit City ... will make for a very challenging 2008 holiday season for the music industry."
Put that news alongside the facts that the nation's economic state is anything but good, and unemployment is on the rise.
Are there still any label people wondering whether CD prices should be lowered?
The election is over. You know what the research showed? People are glad the long nightmare is over. Not that there is a new president. No. People are thrilled they don't have to watch another political TV ad for another four years.
And Now This...
Last week in my commentary I wrote: "Even in these darkest economic times, people are spending lots of money at the box office. Check the box office grosses this year on 'The Dark Knight,' 'Iron Man,' Indiana Jones 4' and the other films this year that have all grossed over $100 million. (18 already)"
This week the news came from England (and a few other overseas markets where their economies are in as bad shape as ours) that the 22nd installment in the James Bond franchise, "Quantum Of Solace," broke box office records on opening weekend. In the U.K. it even "shattered the previous record held by "Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire" for a Friday opening. (Source: http://tinyurl.com/5d4f5j )
Once again, as in the case of AC/DC selling a few million albums worldwide in the last two weeks, bad economies or not, consumers have proven they have no problem spending their money on great entertainment when it's something they really like.
AC/DC Score Hit With Wal-Mart
G n' R to sell through Best Buy; are big-box stores the future?(From Rolling Stone) At 12:01a on October 20th, Wal-Mart opened a temporary 3,000-square-foot store on Hollywood Boulevard devoted entirely to AC/DC's new album, "Black Ice." Like the Eagles successfully did a year ago, AC/DC is selling its record exclusively through Wal-Mart's 3,500 stores, tapping into the chain's marketing might and 200 million annual customers at a time when CD sales dropped 36% between 2000 and 2007, according to data from Nielsen SoundScan.
The deal is paying off for AC/DC in a big way: "Black Ice" was on track to sell more than 900,000 copies in its first week at press time, making it the year's second-biggest debut. And Wal-Mart -- the nation's number-two music retailer, behind iTunes -- has reportedly ordered 2.5 million copies of the record. Other superstars are making similar deals: Best Buy will release Guns n' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" on November 23rd.
Read more about it by clicking here.
FCC Approves White Spaces, 'WiFi On Steroids'
In a move expected to spur broadband growth, the FCC voted unanimously Tuesday to allow the unlicensed use of the white space spectrum. "Opening the white spaces will allow for the creation of a WiFi on steroids," FCC chair Kevin Martin said in a statement issued Tuesday. "It has the potential to improve wireless broadband connectivity and inspire an ever-widening array of new Internet based products and services for consumers."
A coalition of powerful groups, including broadcasters, Broadway theater producers and sports franchises, hoped to derail or delay the decision. They have argued that their own transmissions -- whether from television signals or from wireless microphones used in live music performances -- could face interference from new devices that use the white spaces.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Beyond Ringtones: Experts Tout Mobile Music
Music brands find that connecting with fans through cell phones and mobile campaigns can mean the difference between consumers getting lost or sticking around. Panelists participating in the "Re-Mix: Dialing up a Music Model" panel at the OMMA Mobile conference Thursday agreed mobile campaigns shouldn't be considered an afterthought. If executed properly, they produce high return on investments and consumer loyalty. Such campaigns capitalize on "personalization" and "self-expression," connecting bands with fans.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Apple Gunning For Sony, Nintendo
BusinessWeekThrough the iPhone and iPod Touch, Apple is moving headlong into the world of portable gaming, and could soon give the likes of Nintendo's DS and Sony PSP a run for their money, BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl says. The slate of games available through the App Store offers "immersive, addictive fun," Hesseldahl says, but most importantly, it's far more easily accessible than both the DS and PSP. "When you consider the ease and reach of Apple's (AAPL) online method for distributing games," Hesseldahl says, "Apple could do in this category what it did in online music."
Read more about it by clicking here.
FCC Expected To Forge Ahead With White Spaces Vote
The FCC has indicated that it is likely to vote Tuesday to approve the unlicensed use of the white space spectrum for wireless broadband. But that hasn't stopped TV broadcasters and other opponents of the plan from barraging the agency with last-minute objections, arguing that allowing unlicensed devices on vacant radio airwaves will cause interference with TV signals or wireless microphones.
Read more about it by clicking here.
YES 'Close To The Edge' 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl Series
This November, Friday Music will release the YES 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl Series, with the first release in the series, the group's ground breaking album "Close To The Edge."
The classic masterpiece contains the 18-minute title track, as well as "And You And I" and "Siberian Khatru." Often cited as one of the most important progressive-rock releases of all time, the album features the classic Yes lineup of Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman.
"We thought the fans would like to have the original albums again, this time on pristine 180 Gram vinyl, half-speed mastering from the original Atlantic Records vaults, plus all of the art elements we have all grown to know and love over the years. We love YES and are proud to have their time honored works here at Friday Music," said Friday Music head Joe Reagoso. "I had no idea the band was getting back together for a 40th anniversary tour, when I put this deal together, so I am thrilled to say the least."
All albums will contain the original artwork, gatefold covers, inserts, plus half-speed mastering at the Friday Music studios in Surf City, CA and at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA. Future releases will include "Yessongs," "Tales From The Topographic Oceans," "90125," "Drama, Relayer" and many other gems from the classic Atlantic Records era of YES.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Jheryl Busby, 1949-2008, R.I.P.
This week, Jheryl Busby, the former President and CEO of Motown Records who helped foster the careers of Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill, and many others, passed away at his home in Malibu, California. He was 59.
Jheryl was named Motown's President and CEO in 1988 and stayed there for seven years. After Motown, he named the head of the Urban division at DreamWorks Records between 1998 and 2001. He later worked at Def Soul Classics, a division of Def Jam Records.
I had the privilege of working with Jheryl when I was at MCA Records. Irving Azoff hired Jheryl as the VP of our black music division in 1984, and he was later promoted to President of the division. In just a few years, Jheryl drove the black music division of MCA to number one in market share in album sales (with $50+million in revenues) with acts like New Edition, Jody Watley, Patti LaBelle, Klymaxx, Pebbles, The Jets, Bobby Brown, and a whole bunch more.
Jheryl knew the difficulties in promoting all records at radio, so he made sure the music he gave us was the best. He took great pride in overseeing each and every one of his artist's projects every time they released an album. His willingness to sit in my office (and anybody's) and discuss crossing a record to pop radio whenever we needed help in doing so, was never ending. He sat on the couch in my office many times strategizing the promotion of our records with myself, Richard Palmese (then MCA's Executive GM), Harold Sulman (then MCA's VP of Sales), and I was always grateful for his mentoring.
The word gentle comes to mind immediately when I think of Jheryl. He was a true gentle giant. A total A&R man whose passion for the music was relentless. When Jheryl came into your office with that big smile on his face and said, "You gotta' listen to this!" you knew you were in for a treat.
He was one of the finest people I ever met and when he moved on to Motown, we all missed him at MCA. But Jheryl was destined to lead Motown to new heights by bringing his professionalism and expertise to the label.
Knowing Jheryl Busby was indeed a privilege. I'm thankful for whatever forces brought him into the lives of all of us lucky enough to have had that privilege.
ATTENTION ALL AT&T INTERNET PEOPLE
In an effort to keep "bandwidth hogs" in check, AT&T is testing the idea of placing limits on how much Internet data its subscribers can transfer each month. Stay tuned.
FIREFOX BROWSER UPDATE
Mozilla Firefox usage share has topped 20% during two separate weeks in October while Internet Explorer has dropped to 71% of browser usage according to data from Net Applications. Net Applications started reporting on Firefox in June 2008 and the browser has been consistently 18% and above.
'THRILLER' HEADED TO THE GREAT WHITE WAY?
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" might be on its way to Broadway as one producer is reportedly planning a musical based on the now classic video and song.
GETTING THE KINKS OUT
Despite constant denials by other members, the Kinks' Ray Davies said the band has now reunited and are writing songs together. "It is too early to judge the quality. It depends if there's good music."
BOSS SAUCE
Bruce Springsteen will reportedly go back to work on his next album, according to Backstreets. During his six-song concert in Cleveland, Springsteen debuted a new song entitled "Workin' On a Dream." The song is expected to appear on the follow-up to last year's 'Magic' and may be out in January 2009. Springsteen spent the autumn season prepping the new album. The winter months promise to be just as busy for Bruce, as he and his E Street Band will also rock the Super Bowl halftime show on February 1st.
AC/DC DAY
The mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia declared that November 28th in the Canadian city would be proclaimed as "AC/DC Day," the same day AC/DC comes to the city's GM Place for a concert. The band also recorded "Black Ice" in Vancouver.
JANET TOUR OVER
Janet Jackson's much-troubled "Rock Witchu" tour came to an end this week as Jackson opted to cancel instead of reschedule all those concerts that were postponed due to her bout with vertigo.
GENESIS WITH GABRIEL?
Genesis are hoping to reunite once again, however this time with Peter Gabriel back in the lead. The group recently reunited to pay homage to the Phil Collins years, but with a box set of Gabriel era reissues due out, the band hopes to bring Gabriel back in the fold.
Quotes of the week
"I think George [Harrison]'s move -- I'm sure of it, really -- had to do with the fact that he just didn't want to be the guy up front, no matter that he had a #1 album at the time. He never wanted that. And the Wilburys gave him a way around it."
-- Tom Petty, talking about George Harrison on his website."Well, it is a shame, perhaps ... I did put quite a lot of work in, and was proud of it. But I could understand if Axl wants to have an album which reflects the work of the members of the band as it is right now."
-- Queen's Brian May, commenting on rumors that his guitar work was left off the upcoming Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy""Everybody talks about Led Zeppelin, and they played one fucking gig -- one fucking lame gig -- while Cream did weeks of gigs. Fuck off, Zeppelin, you're crap. You've always been crap and you'll never be anything else. Cream is 10 times the band that Led Zeppelin is."
-- Cream's bass player Jack Bruce at a recent award ceremony, apparently angry that Zeppelin and not Cream (as had been scheduled), became the headliner of the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert at the O2 Arena in London in December 2007. Bruce later tried to back away from the comments, saying "I was just having some fun with the press gallery, really""I can do anything. I was in a boy band, okay."
-- Justin Timberlake, proving he can handle the sarcasm of the "Don't Vote" which actually urges people to vote."If she hears 'Try to make me go to rehab,' Violet will go, 'No, no, no.' I know, it's a little weird, but it's really cute!"
-- Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl, on his 2-year-old daughter's reaction to the Amy Winehouse song. Cute? Make sure you show her some of those close-up photos of Ms. Winehouse later on when she's a little older. It ain't cute and it ain't pretty."Don't start with me about Kabbalah. I went to Catholic school."
-- New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, confirming he will not follow the reported spiritual path of teammate Alex Rodriguez."I worry they won't have the same energy they did when their father was there to beat them before each show."
-- Quote in THE ONION, In response to the question 'The Jackson 5 is reuniting for a tour in 2009. What do you think?'
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
The Onion's Expanded Election Coverage...These Stories
McCain Gets Hammered At Local VFW
Hillary Clinton Resumes Attacking Obama
Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job
Republican Party, Average Working Joe Bid One Another Adieu Until 2012
Magical Voting Booth Transforms Clearheaded Americans Into Reactionist Morons
Read the rest here and laugh: http://www.theonion.com/content/index.
THE RADIO INTERVIEW on 'THE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE' - From newsblaze.com
"Steve Meyer is on the front line of global music sales and distribution which he expects will soar to pocket-bursting levels. What's more, he shares his insight and ingenuity with us. Steve gives us both historical perspective and futuristic vision as he chats with Judy about the love of his work, trends of the business and his personal points of view about success, happiness and blending life with the lust for life. Steve joins Judy and helps us discover the thrill of having it all with a sense of balance and purpose. "
You can listen to an interview I did with Judy Piazza of 'The American Perspective' by clicking here: (It runs about 15 minutes)
http://www.thesop.org/index.php?id=10306.
The Blogs
Check out a great blog by Jerry Del Colliano, the Director Executive Programs, Clinical Professor Music Industry & Recording Arts, at the Thornton School of Music,University of Southern California, by clicking here: http://www.insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com.
Box Office
Check The Daily & Weekly Box Office (and more film info) at: www.boxofficemojo.com.
TinyURL
Check out www.tinyurl.com where you can make a smaller URL that will work for any webpage you wish to link to or reference. (As you can see, I'm using it in my news stories above!)
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