From RBR.com: "Jack Swarbrick, LMiV CEO, tells RBR he
isn't too happy about the recent U.S. District Court ruling against
broadcasters on streaming." (RAIN coverage here.)
While broadcasters were just beginning to solve the ad
insertion issue created by AFTRA, this latest decision makes broadcasters
pay to stream their content -- effectively making streaming an
expensive proposition that broadcasters will turn away from."
Swarbrick was quoted by RBR as saying, "'The point
is that the remarkable promise of the Internet as a method for
increasing the channels of distribution for musical artists is
about to be lost forever.
"The continuing high cost of streaming has, by itself,
resulted in a steep decline in the number of online music providers
during the past 12 months. Add to that dynamic significant licensing
fees and the results are sure to be an online distribution system
that is no different than
the extraordinarily consolidated
recording industry that exists today.'"
Have
an opinion on this article?Share it! Simply
click the headline at left to e-mail us.
BY RALPH SLEDGE
With a somewhat heavy but quite tasteful Flash design,
Canadian site Red Seat
presents itself in smooth and groovy red and black. For the most
part, this site is two
things: a minimalist (but apparently live DJ'd) stream, and a
small archive of concert footage from various Canadian venues.
Red Seat is part of The
Iceberg network of Internet radio sites (originally reviewed
in RAINhere),
partially-owned by Canadian broadcast company Standard Radio.
In the section called "Happenings" lives a small
list of upcoming concerts that Red Seat recommends to its listeners.
There are a few other bits around the site, but for the most part,
it's fairly simple, for all it's graphical prowess.
Though Red Seat gives it a shot with "tangy global
cocktail," the actual "genre" of the music presented
here is hard to define. Red Seat has more in the way of mainstream
(or at least approaching mainstream) artists than most other sites
with such an innovative presentation. The music spans funk, soul,
jazz, rock, and worldbeat, with "featured artists" like
David Byrne, Ani Difranco, Ben Harper, and Medeski Martin and
Wood, among others. It's cool and cutting edge without being "too
hip for the room." The music stream is only presented in
dial-up quality. It's doesn't sound bad, though, and the lower
rate means you'll still have some bandwidth left over to poke
around on the site.
From the Wall Street Journal: "A decade ago, a handful
of scientists invented an ultrabright, long-lasting, energy-saving
light bulb. The cover of High Times magazine dubbed it the
ultimate 'grow lamp' for marijuana. A Tennessee venture capitalist
plans a company to grow strawberries indoors with it. Vice President
Dick Cheney's energy plan pictures two of the bulbs illuminating
the 240-foot-wide entrance to the Department of Energy.
"There is only one small problem. The microwave-powered
bulbs," (pictured) "substitutes for conventional bulbs,
emit radio waves that interfere with another hot technology: satellite
radio.
"That inconvenient fact has sparked a battle over bandwidth
that, so far, has proved resistant to Federal Communications Commission
attempts to mediate it.
"Two companies that plan to begin using satellites to broadcast
radio later this year, Sirius
Satellite Radio Inc. and XM
Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., are
alarmed that paying subscribers may hear static -- or silence --
if they drive within a mile of highways lit by the bulbs, now made
by Fusion Lighting Inc.,
of Rockville, Md. They want the FCC to force Fusion to alter the
bulbs to completely block the interference. Fusion's response: We
were here first, and there's room for both us...
"The FCC initially proposed requiring Fusion to reduce
emissions by 85% below current standards. The radio
companies rejected that. Fusion offered to reduce interference by
95% by putting metal casing around the microwave generator and a
metal reflector and coated glass over the light. The radio companies
rejected that, and asked the FCC to require emissions 99.9% below
current rules. Fusion says that would put it out of business.
"Tough, say the radio companies. Left unchecked, the
microwave emissions would 'imperil the promise of satellite radio,'
Sirius and XM told the FCC in May."
Read the entire article here
(registration required).
Simply
click the headline at left to send us a note using your
own e-mail software.
From the press release: "Blastcast
Incorporated announced today that it has abandoned its Internet
media
business plan and has placed the company up for sale. Blastcast's
principal assets include a Canadian subsidiary, the trademark
"blastcast" and top-level Internet domain names...
"Blastcast is a privately held company serving both
suppliers and consumers of the Internet radio and streaming
music industries. Information on Blastcast can be obtained from
the company's website at www.blastcast.com."
Read the full press release here,
and visit the site to see the spinning "For Sale"
sign in the upper right-hand corner! We're not sure what sort
of business model Blastcast had or what type of service was
actually provided (especially to the industry), as their site
seems to consist of nothing more than a page of links.
Software for RAIN's
daily e-mail reminders provided by...
NEW!
If you are
a vendor and would like to knowmore
about sponsoring a button and/or link in this guide, please call RAIN
at 1-312-726-8300 or send an e-mailHERE.
things: a minimalist (but apparently live DJ'd) stream, and a
small archive of concert footage from various Canadian venues.
Red Seat is part of 
energy-saving
light bulb. The cover of High Times magazine dubbed it the
ultimate 'grow lamp' for marijuana. A Tennessee venture capitalist
plans a company to grow strawberries indoors with it. Vice President
Dick Cheney's energy plan pictures two of the bulbs illuminating
the 240-foot-wide entrance to the Department of Energy.
