Rick Rubin Finalizing Columbia Position, Staffing Changes Ahead….
More staffing changes are about to happen at Sony BMG, but this time, people will be entering, not exiting, the building. Why the heck would Rick Rubin take this job? Who knows, but they wanted him off the market.

Universal Music Group is close to winning European Union approval to buy Bertelsmann AG’s BMG Music Publishing after EU antitrust officials backed the deal, three people with knowledge of the proposal said. The recommendation by the team reviewing the acquisition follows offers by Universal to sell publishing rights, said the people, who declined to be identified before the decision is made public.

A rift delays Alicia Keys Album. According to the New York Daily News, the Smokin’ Aces star is upset with bosses at Clive Davis’ J Records over the recent departure of promotions director and her loyal friend Ken Wilson.

Is the music industry cracking down on MP3 blogs???
Music label publicists regularly feed tracks to MP3 blogs. Online press from bloggers with quirky tastes and loyal followings can be as useful as college radio spins in breaking new artists or bolstering an established act’s latest release. BUT, The RIAA has been directing hosting providers to remove the infringing blogs because posting mp3’s is technically illegal. Copyright holders can avoid killing off these indie marketing channels by simply asking bloggers to pull disputed tracks. But it seems the RIAA wants to kill the blogosphere by taking them down with no options.

MP3 blogs Country Pinball Machine, Shameless Complacency and Side One, Track One recently had their file-hosting services or entire sites suspended by providers responding to allegations of illegal song posts, Idolator.com reported. (The music gossip site has itself pulled songs at the request of the RIAA.)

“My site got suspended because my host was scared by a standard cease-and-desist e-mail from the RIAA concerning a post on Kings of Leon, who … just had their highest first week of sales ever,” Laird wrote.

The four major radio broadcasters including CBS Radio, Citadel Broadcasting, Clear Channel and Entercom Communications will collectively pay $12.5 million to settle the allegations of payola. Broadcasters also agreed to a guarantee of 8,400 half-hour segments of free airtime for indie record labels and local artists.
Do you believe it? or will business operate as usual……

Clear Channel has an advertising deal with Google…
They have a long-term agreement that will allow the Internet search leader to place advertising for its online customers on more than 675 Clear Channel radio stations.

Razor & Tie will team up with Starbucks Entertainment to co-release Monterey International Pop Festival

The recent firing of Don Imus has created an uproar as KOAR predicted. Russell Simmons will be holding a ‘closed door’ meeting with artists and executives from the Hip-Hop/urban community to discuss the future of Hip-Hop and how the genre can be moved forward in a positive direction. Sources told AllHipHop.com that the invitation only meeting takes place on Wednesday (Apr.18) at Lyor Cohen’s Manhattan residence.
*Rap Concert at S Carolina State University [home of first Dem Debate]: N-word used more than 100 times in a song!

Island Def Jam is reviving the Mercury imprint in the U.S. and has tapped Sony Music A&R guy David Massey to serve as president of the division.

Industry insiders are claiming that its doom and gloom for big-box retailers….
Borders are on an buying freeze through the end of April. Handleman is in the midst of dragging down approx. $25 million in inventory from its WalMart stores and is taking a more conservative route to new releases than in the past.

KOAR doesn’t typically talk about Talk Radio. But we couldn’t refrain after hearing the breaking news that CBS fired IMUS and terminated his morning talk radio show. Firing Imus but not holding others accountable is a double standard and selective profiling. This won’t be the end, expect an uproar…..check out the TIME article “Who can Say What?”

Lastly, rap artists will also be held accountable including Snoopy Dog, Ludacris, etc. Certain broadcasters that have millions of viewers are going to dedicate airtime exposing these artists and the people behind these artists including industry executives. Could this be end of the hedonistic empire? Check out the KOAR’s last article ‘Hip Hop Taking Criticism While Sales Tank’.

Unsigned One Less Reason just sold out a 1,000 capacity club in Jackson, MS. The track ‘If you want Me’ has sub power rotation at the top 40 station y101.

The October is charting on CMJ. The alternative act is close to completing a new EP as they continue to tour regionally while selling out their hometown. Check out the recent radio interview.

Several A&R’s at EPIC were let go as of yesterday…..

A new study claims that Internet radio listenership has doubled. “There’s no question that listening to the radio over the Internet is well on its way to becoming more of a rule than an exception,” said AMS President/CEO Edward Seeger.

Soundscan

NOW 24
Various
TW 213,160
Total 443,325
*consumers love HITS, which is what every artist should strive for.

Daughtry
TW 98,426
Total 2,204,219
*Nickelback, Hinder and now Daughtry. The US loves melodic rock. This record is going to hit 4-5 million. This summer you will be hearing more Daughtry tracks hit the airwaves. Read KOAR’s article ‘The Trouble With Nickelback’

Chevelle
Vena Sera
TW 61,901

Kings of Leon
Because of the Times
TW 41,919

The Academy Is
Santi
TW 33,163

J LO
Coma Ama Una..
TW 25,658
Total 74,069

The US will be filing two new trade cases against China over copyright piracy and restrictions on the sale of American movies, music and books there. China is costing American companies billions of dollars in sales because of rampant copyright piracy. China is more concerned jailing journalists than protecting copyright material. What a great leap backward.

KOAR will be posting several NEW artists soon.

My Favorite Highway is performing today in NYC for Virgin staffers.

Check out Jenny Owen Youngs, listen to the first track HOT IN HERE.