In the past few weeks there has been a flurry of controversy concerning the PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ACT. Many broadcasters and thousands of uninformed people are suggesting that the bill would be the death of Black radio within the United States.
Black radio died years ago when consolidation of ownership, syndication of programming and disregard for the local community became the Black radio norm. What the cry is now is for the local listeners to rally around the Black owned radio stations so the stations won’t have to pay out more money. Where is the concern for the artists whose creativity and expertise made this entire industry possible?
Looking at Black radio within the United States many people seemed to forget exactly how Black radio assisted the recording artists and independent labels. In the beginning Black radio was concerned about the health and growth of independent Black owned labels and worked closely with them, at times in complete partnership, to create events, shows, in stores and remote broadcasts benefitting both parties. As revenues grew and more stations became popular the attitude of owners, sales people and eventually disc jockeys became more and more financially directed. What once was partnership creating revenue for both sides became a mandatory free show, promotion, in store or event FOR the station. Disk jockeys became PIMP jockeys and wanted money in advance of hearing the music that was offered to them for possible airplay. Research techniques were initiated to offer “scientific” excuses for not playing a song, while new systems were put in place to make the journey to the radio station more difficult.
Record pools, independent promoters, marketing experts, publicity people, ALL were started from the inception of artists creativity and expertise. Without the song NO ONE would be eating. Now that the United States wants to join the rest of the free world in assisting the artist acquire revenue that has been LONG denied them we hear from major and independent broadcast owners that this is a business threatening move.
Education of the issue can help you understand the different visions presented by both sides.
The SOUND RECORDING PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ACT FOR TERRESTRIAL RADIO H.R.4789 passed the House of Representatives on May 13, 2009.
Performance Rights Act - Amends federal copyright law to:
(1) Grant performers of sound recordings equal rights to compensation from terrestrial broadcasters;
(2) Establish a flat annual fee in lieu of payment of royalties for individual terrestrial broadcast stations with gross revenues of less than $1.25 million and for non-commercial, public broadcast stations;
(3) Grant an exemption from royalty payments for broadcasts of religious services and for incidental uses of musical sound recordings; and
(4) Grant terrestrial broadcast stations that make limited feature uses of sound recordings a per program license option.
Any single track of recorded music consists of 2 copyrights.
There is a copyright in the written words and music (the “musical composition”), which is typically held by the songwriter or their publisher.
There is a copyright in any recording of the composition (the “sound recording”), which is typically held by the performing artist or their label.
What the Performance Rights Act is proposing is that the owners of the sound recording start receiving payment for the use of their art. Prior to 1995 performers could not receive ANY remuneration for their art, then Sound Exchange started collecting for Internet radio, Satellite radio and Cable radio plays and artists who had not seen any money in years from their publishers or labels started seeing renewed checks.
We are now talking about paying recording artist direct for their contributions to the BILLIONS of dollars in revenue radio stations have all ready collected.
This is not the end of Black radio.
This is not the end of free on air time for non-profit organizations.
This is not the reason for firing announcers and other radio station people.
This is a call for station owners to become more attuned to their community needs, develop consistent sales programs that develop better usage of their staffs, stop doing business the way it was done years ago and step into the future. I find it really strange that the people speaking out the most against the Performance Act either work for a major radio network or have refused to embrace the new technological changes now available for supplementary revenue formation.
Interestingly enough radio stations outside of the United States have been paying publishing fees AND performance fees for years and it has grown there business.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
NIGGERDOM
Today’s entertainment industry has become strategically deployed to affect a new state of mind within the youth of the African Diaspora. My continued contact with young people both online and in person confirms this global tragedy.
SUCCESS CAN BE AND HAS BEEN MANIPULATED!!
I have been speaking about this problem for years but it took my friend REJE SHOWERS to give it a name, “NIGGERDOM”
Niggerdom is a state of mind programmed into our youth worldwide that gives them unapprised information on behavior, ethics, morals and daily choices. This is not a haphazard condition but a strategically planned and orchestrated scheme to continue the status quo and keep wealth, power and land ownership out of the hands of people of color.
The basic entertainment premise is, instead of making a product so skillfully and honestly that people want to run out and acquire it, you now promote & market a product to make people yearn for it. The art form presented to the masses has become non emotional, lyrically laden with sexual, criminal, low moral, gender bias, fantasy concepts. Today’s young adults and children covet sex without love, big cars, flashy jewelry and perceived power through violence. Money has become their religious conviction.
Historically this particular mentality was originally cultivated when European royalty devised the strategy of non-white people being sub intelligent to white Europeans. This was made common place AFTER the discovery of gold, spices, hardwood, higher mathematics, astrology, medicine, surgery and information storage was presented to Europe from the European merchants travels to other non-white continents and cities. This creative idea held that non-white people were not entitled to land, wealth, independent thought, religion or freedom that was not ISSUED by a white European.
As generations passed this concept morphed into a worldwide plan that justified the slave trade, the taking of countries, and the creation of “townships”, concentration camps and detainment centers. As far fetched as it may seem this same strategically made plan has changed into a contemporary methodology using entertainment and mass media as its ultimate tools of delivery.
NIGGERDOM
This strategic conditioning has created a few new common terms and phrases that are having a significant impact on the collective Diaspora’s psyche.
HATERS - A term unheard of just 5 years ago, but today it is used to describe a litany of individuals, organizations and political parties who’s viewpoints are different than the user of the word. A HATER is someone who openly criticizes, purposefully attempts to sabotage, or who indulges in any number of other activities/behaviors aimed at someone they consider doing better than them. Instead of developing answers to the problems that arise everyday, people are now saying that others are “hating” on them and developing a false sense of security by using the term. Hating, the result of being a hater, is not exactly jealousy. The hater doesn’t really want to be the person he or she hates, rather the hater wants to knock some one else down a notch. NIGGERDOM
When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters...
That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed...
It's dangerous to be like somebody else... If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given you what He gave them! Right?
You never know what people have gone through to get what they have..
EXCERPT FROM MAYA ANGELOU “HATERS”
Black, Asian, Hindi __________ is not as good as White ___________
(Add any of the following words in to the blank spaces.)
Neighborhoods
Grocery Stores
Television shows
Movies
Men
Women
Children
Jazz
Blues
Hip Hop
Rock and Roll
Food
Schools
Banks
Government
This is an example of NIGGERDOM at work at its basic level, using the ability to transfer negative concepts between the races just to create negative feelings about one.
HERD MENTALITY - One of the greatest NIGGERDOM tools in existence. People of color unknowingly call themselves individuals while constantly following the buying, dressing, eating and entertainment habits of millions of others. The Hip Hop generation manufactures a new look in dress and personal preferences, now every child, tween, teen and young adult has a NEED to follow the latest trend as quickly as they can afford it, regardless to their basis needs for health and education. If a new line of black sneakers with pink polka dots is introduced to the main stream media audience, every one of the aforementioned groups wants to wear them immediately. This immediately opens up the concept that “Your sneakers are not REAL because they are not the name brand advertised or you didn’t buy them from the exclusive “right” store”.
NIGGERDOM
This system of degradation and self hate has been fueled by the capability of major labels, television, movie houses, mass distribution and the press to PRIMARILY market and release negative projects.
There are too many decision makers that see the world through their own pair of wealth orientated glasses. Recently Queen Latifah has become disgusted with the lack of positive roles for people of color within the industry. As new as this may seem this is only the most recent cry for freedom from a person of color concerning this historically blatant strategic system. There have always been alternatives to this system, but until recently has there been the means to affect these alternatives worldwide.
The answer to NIGGERDOM is to own, control and operate the entire ability to make entertainment and educational material, distribute the materials and communicate directly with the recipients of the materials. This means developing independently owned schools, studios, online and offline distribution centers, and banks to assist in financing the deployment of positive materials to the billions of people of color worldwide. This is not just an American problem, British problem, Hindi problem, Asian problem, Caribbean problem or African problem. NIGGERDOM is a universal problem that must be destroyed before it totally destroys our ability to change it.
I humbly suggest that YOU take the first step with me. Make something that positively portrays you, your family, your village, your town, your city or your religion. Join like minded people online and offline, start sharing your project and positive ideas. Instantly stop using the terms and thoughts being programmed into your home, computer, car and cellphone and look at people around you as equals.
It only takes a few collective people to make a change.
SUCCESS CAN BE AND HAS BEEN MANIPULATED!!
I have been speaking about this problem for years but it took my friend REJE SHOWERS to give it a name, “NIGGERDOM”
Niggerdom is a state of mind programmed into our youth worldwide that gives them unapprised information on behavior, ethics, morals and daily choices. This is not a haphazard condition but a strategically planned and orchestrated scheme to continue the status quo and keep wealth, power and land ownership out of the hands of people of color.
The basic entertainment premise is, instead of making a product so skillfully and honestly that people want to run out and acquire it, you now promote & market a product to make people yearn for it. The art form presented to the masses has become non emotional, lyrically laden with sexual, criminal, low moral, gender bias, fantasy concepts. Today’s young adults and children covet sex without love, big cars, flashy jewelry and perceived power through violence. Money has become their religious conviction.
Historically this particular mentality was originally cultivated when European royalty devised the strategy of non-white people being sub intelligent to white Europeans. This was made common place AFTER the discovery of gold, spices, hardwood, higher mathematics, astrology, medicine, surgery and information storage was presented to Europe from the European merchants travels to other non-white continents and cities. This creative idea held that non-white people were not entitled to land, wealth, independent thought, religion or freedom that was not ISSUED by a white European.
As generations passed this concept morphed into a worldwide plan that justified the slave trade, the taking of countries, and the creation of “townships”, concentration camps and detainment centers. As far fetched as it may seem this same strategically made plan has changed into a contemporary methodology using entertainment and mass media as its ultimate tools of delivery.
NIGGERDOM
This strategic conditioning has created a few new common terms and phrases that are having a significant impact on the collective Diaspora’s psyche.
HATERS - A term unheard of just 5 years ago, but today it is used to describe a litany of individuals, organizations and political parties who’s viewpoints are different than the user of the word. A HATER is someone who openly criticizes, purposefully attempts to sabotage, or who indulges in any number of other activities/behaviors aimed at someone they consider doing better than them. Instead of developing answers to the problems that arise everyday, people are now saying that others are “hating” on them and developing a false sense of security by using the term. Hating, the result of being a hater, is not exactly jealousy. The hater doesn’t really want to be the person he or she hates, rather the hater wants to knock some one else down a notch. NIGGERDOM
When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters...
That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed...
It's dangerous to be like somebody else... If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given you what He gave them! Right?
You never know what people have gone through to get what they have..
EXCERPT FROM MAYA ANGELOU “HATERS”
Black, Asian, Hindi __________ is not as good as White ___________
(Add any of the following words in to the blank spaces.)
Neighborhoods
Grocery Stores
Television shows
Movies
Men
Women
Children
Jazz
Blues
Hip Hop
Rock and Roll
Food
Schools
Banks
Government
This is an example of NIGGERDOM at work at its basic level, using the ability to transfer negative concepts between the races just to create negative feelings about one.
HERD MENTALITY - One of the greatest NIGGERDOM tools in existence. People of color unknowingly call themselves individuals while constantly following the buying, dressing, eating and entertainment habits of millions of others. The Hip Hop generation manufactures a new look in dress and personal preferences, now every child, tween, teen and young adult has a NEED to follow the latest trend as quickly as they can afford it, regardless to their basis needs for health and education. If a new line of black sneakers with pink polka dots is introduced to the main stream media audience, every one of the aforementioned groups wants to wear them immediately. This immediately opens up the concept that “Your sneakers are not REAL because they are not the name brand advertised or you didn’t buy them from the exclusive “right” store”.
NIGGERDOM
This system of degradation and self hate has been fueled by the capability of major labels, television, movie houses, mass distribution and the press to PRIMARILY market and release negative projects.
There are too many decision makers that see the world through their own pair of wealth orientated glasses. Recently Queen Latifah has become disgusted with the lack of positive roles for people of color within the industry. As new as this may seem this is only the most recent cry for freedom from a person of color concerning this historically blatant strategic system. There have always been alternatives to this system, but until recently has there been the means to affect these alternatives worldwide.
The answer to NIGGERDOM is to own, control and operate the entire ability to make entertainment and educational material, distribute the materials and communicate directly with the recipients of the materials. This means developing independently owned schools, studios, online and offline distribution centers, and banks to assist in financing the deployment of positive materials to the billions of people of color worldwide. This is not just an American problem, British problem, Hindi problem, Asian problem, Caribbean problem or African problem. NIGGERDOM is a universal problem that must be destroyed before it totally destroys our ability to change it.
I humbly suggest that YOU take the first step with me. Make something that positively portrays you, your family, your village, your town, your city or your religion. Join like minded people online and offline, start sharing your project and positive ideas. Instantly stop using the terms and thoughts being programmed into your home, computer, car and cellphone and look at people around you as equals.
It only takes a few collective people to make a change.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
THE INTERNET IS A MICROSCOPE
Have you ever “GOOGLED” someone on the Internet? Google has become the source to find information “instantly” on anyone. Today’s online search media can make you or break you in only a few moments. Once you had to be careful about what was written or reported about you, now there is a completely new set of media online with Bloggers, Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. Facebook has become the fastest growing and most used social network site on the planet. Facebook worldwide has 1.5 million NEW subscribers a month. Based on Worldwide Internet usage and Population statistics there are over 1,590,000,000 online users. According to a March report from research firm Nielsen, two-thirds of the planet's Internet population visit social networking or blogging sites. Across the world, activity in social networking communities’ accounts for one in every 11 minutes spent online, the report said. In the United Kingdom, the average is one in every six minutes. In Brazil, it's one of every four minutes.
Comedian and radio personality J Anthony Brown says “Watch Out Now” and today that is one of the best pieces of advice a person can have. The Internet has become the number one source to find out information on just about anyone or anything.
As an Internet user, online music consumer or social network user you are leaving a trail of information. Consider how much information you voluntarily provide on your Facebook profile. Now imagine if you could combine that with your Netflix renting and Amazon buying habits. Then throw in the suggestions of your friends and the pages you visit the most often. All those various sources of information about you are currently stored in different locations—on your computer’s browser history, on your Facebook page, on the servers for Netflix and Amazon—but just imagine how accurate a search could be if every time you had a query, the mass of data about you that exists on the Internet could inform the results. Google and Yahoo already do this to a limited extent by tracking your search history to refine results. Local, State and Federal governments now have databases researchable by any common person who has the time, energy and a small amount of money. If you have been involved with a court system over ANY matter there is information on you online. If you have applied for any type of governmental money, paid taxes or applied for a driver’s license, there is information about you online.
In fact, as we each carve out our individual niche on the Web, the logic of search may well flip inside out. Since we are essentially meta-tagging ourselves through our social networking memberships, shopping habits and surfing addictions, it’s conceivable that the information could attempt to find us—the old concept of push media, but in a far more refined way. As new content enters the Web, it could tumble through the various filters that you set up around your identity and then show up on your home-page news feed, or in your personal in box, or pop up on a ticker that follows you around as you browse from page to page. The new concept of EVERYTHING being transferable to your cellphone could really take on a different meaning when your online information gets “pushed” to it.
Email is the most popular mode of communication, designed for one-to-one interactions.
Instant messaging, texting and social networking are dramatically higher among teens than in the overall broadband population.
Photos are the most common type of information shared online, while podcasts are the least common.
Blogs are more likely to be shared with co-workers and the public than other forms of shared content.
Just like the opening days of Napster and the copyright questions, as social networking evolves, there will be an unholy mess of privacy and security issues to work out. Don’t be paranoid just start being careful about what you do. Start creating new positive information about yourself continuously for the Internet. Remember that weekend in college that you decided to “streak” around campus? Where are those photos your friends took? Drugs, Alcohol and photography should not be mixed, it could turn around years later and bite you. Make sure that you don’t have photos on someone’s page that can destroy your career or affect your livelihood.
The Internet is a microscope and you are a living specimen to be examined.
Comedian and radio personality J Anthony Brown says “Watch Out Now” and today that is one of the best pieces of advice a person can have. The Internet has become the number one source to find out information on just about anyone or anything.
As an Internet user, online music consumer or social network user you are leaving a trail of information. Consider how much information you voluntarily provide on your Facebook profile. Now imagine if you could combine that with your Netflix renting and Amazon buying habits. Then throw in the suggestions of your friends and the pages you visit the most often. All those various sources of information about you are currently stored in different locations—on your computer’s browser history, on your Facebook page, on the servers for Netflix and Amazon—but just imagine how accurate a search could be if every time you had a query, the mass of data about you that exists on the Internet could inform the results. Google and Yahoo already do this to a limited extent by tracking your search history to refine results. Local, State and Federal governments now have databases researchable by any common person who has the time, energy and a small amount of money. If you have been involved with a court system over ANY matter there is information on you online. If you have applied for any type of governmental money, paid taxes or applied for a driver’s license, there is information about you online.
In fact, as we each carve out our individual niche on the Web, the logic of search may well flip inside out. Since we are essentially meta-tagging ourselves through our social networking memberships, shopping habits and surfing addictions, it’s conceivable that the information could attempt to find us—the old concept of push media, but in a far more refined way. As new content enters the Web, it could tumble through the various filters that you set up around your identity and then show up on your home-page news feed, or in your personal in box, or pop up on a ticker that follows you around as you browse from page to page. The new concept of EVERYTHING being transferable to your cellphone could really take on a different meaning when your online information gets “pushed” to it.
Email is the most popular mode of communication, designed for one-to-one interactions.
Instant messaging, texting and social networking are dramatically higher among teens than in the overall broadband population.
Photos are the most common type of information shared online, while podcasts are the least common.
Blogs are more likely to be shared with co-workers and the public than other forms of shared content.
Just like the opening days of Napster and the copyright questions, as social networking evolves, there will be an unholy mess of privacy and security issues to work out. Don’t be paranoid just start being careful about what you do. Start creating new positive information about yourself continuously for the Internet. Remember that weekend in college that you decided to “streak” around campus? Where are those photos your friends took? Drugs, Alcohol and photography should not be mixed, it could turn around years later and bite you. Make sure that you don’t have photos on someone’s page that can destroy your career or affect your livelihood.
The Internet is a microscope and you are a living specimen to be examined.
DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE
If you think that you can go to a conference, play a song or perform and someone will give you a deal. HELLO you are almost a complete fool. Most NEW conferences are about separating you from as much of your money as possible and this happens by selling you dreams. These NEW conferences are long on conference performance slots, nightclub showcases, and DJ panels and short on education and real business networking. Just tell me what artist ever "BLEW UP" from having a DJ, an A&R rep or a record promotion person listen to them? This industry takes work and you must be prepared to do the work.
Conferences should be about business, the conference speakers have their agenda, normally wanting to sell their services, and the attendees have their agenda, making the best presentation possible to get someone's attention.
If you read correctly you will see I said PRESENTATION. Here are a few of things you should have ready.
1. Your music on either a PRESSED cd or on a jump drive (mp3). Hand written, computer made cd's from Staples or Office Max are not PRESSED.
2. Information ON the cd or jump drive, most people have to take your cd OUT of the case to hear it, but a few will tell you it's great and never open the case. You need your name, title of song, time (length of song), phone number, mailing address and email just in case someone wants to get in touch with you.
3. Business card with company or artist name and contact information. Try not to have your girlfriend or boyfriends phone number as your contact because you know you two are going to fight and talk smack about each other. This is not good for a professional to hear if they are trying to contact you.
4. Additionally you can have a one sheet. This is a single sheet of paper with information on where you are being played, what you are doing for promotion, the UPC code of the song so a store can add you to their computer database. Contact information on you or your company plus a photo of the cd insert completes it.
5. Try NOT to have a bunch of promotional mess, stuff like postcards, flyers, posters, and mini pictures of half naked women. This stuff looks good in the street and most professionals will just throw it into the garbage, leave it on a table or drop it on the floor.
Be prepared for business and still be able to have a great time at the social events
Conferences should be about business, the conference speakers have their agenda, normally wanting to sell their services, and the attendees have their agenda, making the best presentation possible to get someone's attention.
If you read correctly you will see I said PRESENTATION. Here are a few of things you should have ready.
1. Your music on either a PRESSED cd or on a jump drive (mp3). Hand written, computer made cd's from Staples or Office Max are not PRESSED.
2. Information ON the cd or jump drive, most people have to take your cd OUT of the case to hear it, but a few will tell you it's great and never open the case. You need your name, title of song, time (length of song), phone number, mailing address and email just in case someone wants to get in touch with you.
3. Business card with company or artist name and contact information. Try not to have your girlfriend or boyfriends phone number as your contact because you know you two are going to fight and talk smack about each other. This is not good for a professional to hear if they are trying to contact you.
4. Additionally you can have a one sheet. This is a single sheet of paper with information on where you are being played, what you are doing for promotion, the UPC code of the song so a store can add you to their computer database. Contact information on you or your company plus a photo of the cd insert completes it.
5. Try NOT to have a bunch of promotional mess, stuff like postcards, flyers, posters, and mini pictures of half naked women. This stuff looks good in the street and most professionals will just throw it into the garbage, leave it on a table or drop it on the floor.
Be prepared for business and still be able to have a great time at the social events
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