Rumor Mill: Ticketmaster to Lose Live Nation

For the true concert aficionados, competition in the ticket world is good.

The second crack in the Ticketmaster regime may be materializing, as talks with their top client, Live Nation, have ceased. Variety has published an internal memo from the Ticketmaster corporation which reads, "We believe we've taken every reasonable step possible to facilitate a renewal, but they seem intent on a direction for their business that leaves us no viable way to work together." This will be a huge loss for Barry Diller (who never did anything nice for us), whose company also lost MLB two years ago. The Washington Post/AP reported a negative effect on TM's parent's stock. The current deal expires in 2008 (2009 with House of Blues).

Live Nation owns, operates, or has a major interest in over 160 venues worldwide, including the House of Blues and the Gorge at George in Eastern Washington. Last year, Live Nation booked more than 26,000 events in 18 countries and sold 60 million tickets. Gander On!

Agnew to Head Disney Records

Variety reports that David Agnew, exec VP-general manager of the Disney Music Group, has been named President of Walt Disney Records. We love Agnew, as he recently created Disney Music Group's concert division. Hannah Montana fans UNITE!

Mr. Agnew directs the global efforts and day-to-day activities of the Disney Music Group, which consists of Walt Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Lyric Street Records and Walt Disney Music Publishing. For more Disney news, check out our good friends over at NETCOT.COM. Gander On!

Music in Film News...

Lots to report in the world of film today...In this morning's Variety, Paramount confirmed that we will have to wait a few extra months before Martin Scorsese's film, "Shine a Light," hits theaters. "Shine a Light," Marti's Rolling Stones concert doc will benefit with more time to market the picture. The new Spring roll-out (April) replaced the original open date of September 21. Filmed at Manhattan's Beacon Theater, IMAX-ready doc also features guest artists Jack White, Buddy Guy, Bill Clinton, and Christina Aguilera. The Stones are currently on tour in Europe...B.I.G. FILM NEWS : In 1995, Fox Searchlight purchased the rights to B.I.G., the bio-pic featuring hip-hop star Christopher Wallace, AKA Biggie Smalls. Today, they announced the film will be directed by "Soul Food" Writer/Director George Tillman Jr. and produced by our favorite all-purpose producer, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. THE FILM IS BEGINNING A NATION-WIDE CASTING CALL TO ANYONE WHO LOOKS LIKE THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G., ACTOR OR NOT. Contact FOX and tell them Goose sent ya... The Clint Eastwood-produced doc on Tony Bennett will not recieve a theatrical release. "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends," features Eastwood interviewing and jamming with Mr. Bennett and was the first project financed and produced by Netflix's Red Envelope Entertainment. Instead of the theater scene, the principles have inked a deal with Target to exclusively sell the DVD and Netflix will handle television, DVD distribution and on-screen showings... Gander On!

Academy says no more to music mailings...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has banned the music composers and songwriters typically send voting members of the academy. Says Variety, "The era of the 'for your consideration' soundtrack is over." The new rule bans the mailing of, "recordings, sheet music (and) music videos of eligible songs or scores." The Acad hopes this will encourage voters to consider the music within the film's context only. The decision is nuanced and met with opposition from many entities. No one will miss the often 'limited edition' pressings more than good 'ol Ebay. Gander On!

Aguilera, Buffet, Keith and Legend Team Up on Radio

What are Christina Aguilera, Toby Keith, Jimmy Buffet, and John Legend working on together? No...not a bad-ass, super-friends benefit concert. They are a few of the founding members of MusicFIRST, an organization fighting radio broadcasters for royalties on live music played over the air waves. Presently, broadcasters shell out money to BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC, however no royalties are paid to artists. Mediaweek reports that MusicFIRST plans to unveil their legislative plans today. One idea (from today's Variety) has been a tax imposed on broadcasters by the RIAA.

Opposing the movement, of course, is the National Association of Broadcasters. On the NAB website today, Executive VP Dennis Wharton responded, "Congress has long recognized that radio airplay of music generates millions of dollars in revenue for record labels and artists...Were it not for radio's free promotional airplay of music on stations all over America, most successful recording artists would still be playing in a garage." The NAB is trying to make John Legend look like John Kerry by re-releasing an older Legend radio ad in which the artist praises local radio for giving him his big break. Gander on for the Complete transcript. .

TRANSCRIPT

VOICE OVER: Radio has always supported up and coming artists and connected you with new music. That's why we are giving new R&B artist John Legend the next forty seconds to do whatever he wants.

JOHN LEGEND: Hey, this is John Legend. You know there is a music director of a radio station in Chicago. Her name is Tiffany. I need to call her and thank her.

TIFFANY: Hello

JL: Hello, Tiffany

T: Yes.

JL: This is John Legend. How you doin?

T: What's up! Hey John!

JL: I had to call and thank you. Everywhere I go now, I'm hearin' Ordinary People, every city I go to. You were playin' it and believed in it. I just wanted to thank you for that.

T: Awww, ya. Ordinary People is, like, the number one request for like the last four weeks. I mean even the thugs are callin' in for it. They are like, "Yo uh, can we get that Ordinary People?"

JL: You know I'm just glad y'all did what y'all did because it just shows the power of giving the people what they want to hear. And I'll see you next time I get over there.

T: Alright, thanks man!

JL: Alright, bye.

T: Bye.

BACKGROUND MUSIC: Ordinary People.

VOICEOVER: John Legend, just one of the thousands of new artists we discovered this year. Radio. You hear it here first.


Gander On!

Joy Division Film Acquired by Weinsteins

Fans of Joy Division may soon have the opportunity to see the band at an independent theatre near them. Variety reports that the film Control was picked up by The Weinstein Company on Monday. Directed by Anton Corbijn and written by Matt Greenhalgh, Control recently took top honors (for a European feature length film) at Cannes. The film focuses on frontman Ian Curtis (played by Sam Riley) and his battles with love, epilepsy, and Joy Division. Curtis committed suicide at the age of 23.

We didn't get a chance to peep Control at Sundance, though the reviews have been increasingly positive and the film has generated quite a buzz. The large following of the band will only aid sales. We expect strong rentals internationally and domestic.

You can find out more about the film at www.controlthemovie.com

Gander On!