Lifenotes: Condolences To Kirt Webster, Dennis Banka

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candle lifenotes11
MusicRow extends its condolences to Kirt Webster and family/friends on Thursday morning’s passing of his father Charles ‘Tyke’ Webster, age 70, in Phoenix, Ariz. Tyke and Sandy Webster have attended multiple ACM, CMA and other industry awards shows, Country Thunder Arizona festivals, and the George Jones tribute concert last November. Tyke was loved and admired by many artists and industry friends.
Visitation will be held Sunday, March 16 from 4-6 p.m. at Mariposa Funeral Home, 400 South Power Road, Mesa, Ariz. 85206. The memorial service is set for Monday, March 17 at 10:30 a.m. at All Saints Church, 1534 N Recker Road Mesa, Ariz. 85205. All flowers and gifts delivered to the Mariposa Funeral Home will be delivered after visitation to All Saints in time for the memorial, if delivered by Sunday.
Kirt Webster extremely grateful for the outpouring of prayers, messages and support already received from his extended “family” of industry friends and associates.
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MusicRow sends its condolences to Dennis Banka of MusicRow reporting station WUCZ. Banka’s mother, Carol Ann Banka, died at age 77 after a long struggle with COPD.

AFM Files Suit Against Spike TV, Jim Owens Entertainment

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AFMlogo-3The American Federation of Musicians has filed a suit in the Chancery Court of Davidson County against Spike TV and Jim Owens Entertainment for more than $1 million in unpaid wages.
The AFM alleges that while Jim Owens Entertainment has provided programs (including Music City Tonight) that were originally recorded under The Nashville Network’s AFM agreement in the 1980s and 1990s and the “new” TNN which launched Nov. 1, 2012, now known as Heartland TV (owned by Luken Communications), no payments for the airings since 2012 have been made to numerous musicians who worked on these programs.
“We have spent more than 16 months negotiating in good faith to try and reach an equitable agreement to compensate these musicians fairly for their work,” says AFM Local 257 President Dave Pomeroy. “We have exhausted all possibilities for a positive resolution in this case. Owens has left us no choice but to pursue resolution of this case through the legal system and all means necessary.”
Jim Owens Entertainment has declined to comment at this time.

Liberty Media Abandons Acquisition of SiriusXM Radio

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saupload_liberty_media_corpLiberty Media Corp. has abandoned plans to acquire SiriusXM Radio, in which it owns 53 percent, after reclassifying its stock into two tracking stocks, Liberty Broadband Group and Liberty Media Group, according to Billboard.
Liberty Broadband will house the company’s interests in Charter Communication, Time Warner Cable and digital security firm TruePosition. Liberty Media will house other the company’s other interests, including its share in SiriusXM.
“This is another step in Liberty’s process of offering investors greater choice, transparency and focus,” said Liberty president and CEO Greg Maffei. “We expect to complete the creation of the new tracking stocks by the third quarter. In light of the tracking stock distribution, our offer for Sirius XM is no longer applicable.”
Current shareholders will receive one share of Liberty Media tracking stock and four shares of Liberty Broadband, for each share of Liberty A and B stock they currently hold.
The company had planned on acquiring SiriusXM for $3.68 per share. This week, shares of SiriusXM fell one percent to $3.37.

Nielsen Shares Digital Music Consumption Stats At SXSW

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NielsenNielsen’s 2014 SXSW presentation, “The Insights Evolution: Why Only Obsessing About Sales Is Holding You Back,” focused on the rewards of building artist awareness through web/social activity, heightening music discovery through radio and streaming, and maximizing sales through radio and television for new song releases.
“Digital consumption has reached the masses, with a majority of consumers in the U.S. streaming music last year,” says David Bakula, SVP Client Development & Industry Insights, Nielsen Entertainment.  “The change in consumption requires us to continually evolve how we measure and define success.”
The presentation included the following statistics regarding how consumers access content in various ways.
• In 2013, 68 percent of U.S. consumers streamed music (includes YouTube music videos)
• Consumers who streamed music via paid streaming services rose from 4.2 percent to 4.9 percent
• Consumers who streamed music via free streaming services rose from 26.8 percent to 38.6 percent
• 56 percent of respondents listened to music on the car radio in a typical week; 53 percent listened to music on their mobile devices during the same period
• 67 percent of respondents listened to music on the car radio within a 12-month period; 69 percent listened to music on mobile devices during the same period; 72 percent listened to music on their desktop or laptop computer during the same period
Nielsen looked at the life cycles of a sampling of 2013’s top songs in terms of sales, On-Demand streams and airplay. Nielsen analyzed trends in sales, radio audience, on-demand streams, and web/social activity for those artists, leading to the following conclusions:
• Radio can be a vital driver of On-Demand streaming and sales
• The first eight to 12 weeks of a new release can present the best opportunity for TV and other exposure
• Around week 12, consumption typically reaches its peak
• After 12 weeks, artists should look for crossover opportunities to engage new audiences as consumption starts to decline
• In the long term, streaming presents the opportunity to lengthen monetization opportunities

Weekly Chart Report (3/14/14)

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Screen Shot 2014-03-14 at 8.42.41 AMClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report
MusicMasterPP

Lizzie Sider's Anti-Bullying Campaign Continues In Florida

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Lizzie Sider at Waterstone Charter School in Homestead

Lizzie Sider at Waterstone Charter School in Homestead, FL


Lizzie Sider’s bullying prevention campaign, titled Nobody Has The Power To Ruin Your Day, has impacted more than 30,000 students in the state of Florida in the past two months. In January and February, Sider visited 65 schools as a spokeperson for PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.
The 15-year-old’s performance at each school includes a rendition of her single “Butterfly,” which was co-penned with Jamie O’Neal. Last fall, Sider embarked on a 100-school tour in California, bringing her anti-bullying message to more than 70,000 students.
Remaining tour dates:
March 14 Tommie Barfield Elementary – Marco Island, Fla.
March 14 Gulf Coast Academy Charter South – Naples, Fla.
March 18 Hobe Sound Elementary (2 assemblies) – Hobe Sound, Fla.
March 18 Pine Crest – Boca Raton, Fla.
March 24 Wildwood Middle School – Wildwood, Fla.
March 24 Lake Panasoffkee Elementary – Lake Panasoffkee, Fla.
March 25 Webster Elementary School – Webster, Fla.
March 25 South Sumter Middle School – Webster, Fla.
March 26 Forest City Elementary School – Altamonte Springs, Fla.
March 27 Roundlake Elementary School – Mt. Dora, Fla.
March 27 Bushnell Elementary – Bushnell, Fla.
March 28 Pine Crest School – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
For more information, visit lizziesider.com.

Lifenotes: Condolences To Wade Jessen

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candle lifenotes11MusicRow sends its condolences to Billboard Sr. Chart Mgr. Wade Jessen and his family. Jessen’s father, Robert Gary Jessen, died March 12 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 77.
Services are currently pending; condolences can be sent here.
 
 

Industry Ink (3/13/14)

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townsquaremediaTownsquare Media Group raised $1,059,783 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during the group’s first national Country Cares event on March 6-7, 2014. Radio listeners from across the nation tuned in to pledge support for St. Jude by making a donation of $20 a month. The event was elevated by more than 26 hours of radio programming during two days.
“Townsquare stations have been supporting St. Jude for years. This year we were excited to unite 20 markets for our first national two-day event,” said Kurt Johnson, Sr. VP of Programming for Townsquare Media.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s treatments have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since opening more than 50 years ago.

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plamedia1Nashville-based publicity and marketing agency PLA Media has added two employees to its staff. Kristen Hassey, a graduate of the University of Georgia, has been named Publicity and New Media Coordinator. She can be reached at [email protected].
Jessica Frey, a Wayne State University graduate, has joined the PLA Media team as Publicity & Social Media Coordinator. She can be reached at [email protected].
PLA Media clients include Lynn Anderson, Ashton Shepherd, Bryan White, Hannah Bethel and others.

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Mark Bracco, ABC-TV’s Vice President, Alternative Series and Specials, could be moving to Dick Clark Productions reports the LA Times.

Bracco is the ABC executive in charge of awards shows; the network is currently home to the CMA Awards.

Meanwhile, DCP is the company behind the ACM Awards as well as many other trophy fests.

Bracco is expected to become executive vice president of programming and development at DCP, reporting to chief executive Allen Shapiro and president Mike Mahan.

• • •

The Women’s Music Business Association hosted a writers round at the Bluebird Cafe on Wednesday (March 12). The round featured songwriters Kelly Archer, Jamie Floyd, Elise Davis, and Stephanie Lambring.

Pictured (L-R): Kelly Archer (writer), Raeanna Mowl (WMBA President), Meredith Herberg (WMBA Events & Education Co-Chair), Rachel Mowl (WMBA Events & Education Co-Chair), Elise Davis (writer), Jamie Floyd (writer), and Stephanie Lambring (writer). Picture credit: Allison Nokes

Pictured (L-R): Kelly Archer (writer), Raeanna Mowl (WMBA President), Meredith Herberg (WMBA Events & Education Co-Chair), Rachel Mowl (WMBA Events & Education Co-Chair), Elise Davis (writer), Jamie Floyd (writer), and Stephanie Lambring (writer). Photo: Allison Nokes

Pandora Leads Streaming Services

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Statista-Infographic_1982_music-streaming-services-in-the-united-states-

Graph by Statista.

Pandora is the most used music streaming service in the U.S., according to Edison who polled Americans age 12 and up for its 2014 audio report, The Infinite Dial. It found that 31 percent of responders had listened to Pandora in the past month.

Coming in second on the list was iHeartRadio, which was listened to by nine percent of those polled. iTunes Radio was a close third with eight percent, followed by Spotify, Google Play, Rhapsody, Slacker and TuneIn Radio.
Pandora’s share of total U.S. radio listening in February 2014 was 8.91 percent, an increase from 8.25 percent at the same time last year. The company had 75.3 million active listeners, increase of 11 percent from the same time period last year.
Beats Music, which launched in January, is too new to be included in the chart above.
As streaming grows in popularity, Apple is pressuring labels for iTunes store exclusives.
In more streaming service news…
On-demand service Spotify has obtained a $200 million credit facility in anticipation of a speculated IPO. The company also announced the acquisition of The Echo Nest. Spotify has over 6 million paying subscribers and over 24 million active users.
Beats Music has raised about $60 million in funding from current investors Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre and Access Industries, reports Billboard. The company is in the process of acquiring TopSpin Media.

Sea Gayle Music Signs CJ Solar

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Pictured (Front row, L-R): Marc Driskill, EVP/GM Sea Gayle; Solar; Chris DuBois, Partner Sea Gayle.(Back row, L-R): Mike Owens, VP Creative Sea Gayle; Brandon Gregg, Office Manager Sea Gayle; Jake Gear, Creative Director Sea Gayle; and Freeman Wizer, VP Creative Sea Gayle.

Pictured (Front row, L-R): Marc Driskill, EVP/GM Sea Gayle; Solar; Chris DuBois, Partner Sea Gayle.
(Back row, L-R): Mike Owens, VP Creative Sea Gayle; Brandon Gregg, Office Manager Sea Gayle; Jake Gear, Creative Director Sea Gayle; and Freeman Wizer, VP Creative Sea Gayle.


Sea Gayle Music has signed Baton Rouge, La. songwriter-artist CJ Solar to a publishing agreement.
“A few months ago, Freeman Wizer, VP Creative at Sea Gayle, asked me if we had any internship spots open for this semester,” said Marc Driskill, EVP/GM of Sea Gayle. “We had a spot open and offered it to CJ. It wasn’t long after he started that Mike Owens, VP Creative at Sea Gayle heard some of CJ’s songs and wanted to sign him. As soon as everyone on the creative team heard his music, we offered him a deal on the spot. His lyrics are well beyond his years and his voice is distinctive and soulful. What a great story and an amazing talent. We are really excited about working with CJ and having him as part of the Sea Gayle roster.”
Sea Gayle Music was established in 1999. Sea Gayle’s songwriters have written 36 chart-topping songs and have earned the company ASCAP Country Publisher of the Year honors two out of the past four years.