As winter tumbles into spring, the FMC revs into high gear with planning
for our upcoming Policy Summit – our signature event – and
the launch of a new research project. This week, FMC board members Jenny
Toomey and Walter McDonough will also be heading down to South by Southwest
to moderate some panels and enjoy some music, so make sure you say hello!
Here we go:
It’s amazing how much can happen in
a month. We’ve been criss-crossing the country as of late –
from Richmond to Seattle to Austin to Orlando to DC – participating
in panels, organizing activists, giving testimony and playing rock shows,
all in the shadow of the profundity of war. With the 24-hour news coverage
of the war, which is simultaneously gripping and sickening, we are forced
to think about how the media affects our lives – how it informs us
as citizens and, even more, how it can actually influence the course of
events through its very presence.
Quantum Career Development in an Transforming Industry
Peter Spellman
Saturday, March 1, 2003
Peter Spellman offer his thoughts on music career development amid new industry trends and look at their career implications and applications. He hopes both musicians and industry careerists will gather some guidance for setting their sails amidst the mercurial waves of a transforming entertainment business. read more
Jennifer Toomey, Executive Director of the Future of Music Coalition (FMC), has been invited to testify at the FCC’s public hearing on Broadcast Ownership Rules, to be held on Thursday, February 27,2003 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The rules, which are reviewed every two years by order of Congress, play a large part in determining the diversity and localization of entertainment, news, and advertising content over public airwaves and media outlets. read more
Put on another pot of coffee, friends, because
this newsletter is long and chock full of info. It seems like we’ve
been running full steam ahead since mid-October, and now that we have
a few moments to catch our breath we can finally relay what we’ve
been up to.
Thanks for tuning in, and for hanging tight. As usual, we’ve been
hard at work on many fronts since we last wrote – organizing events,
writing, drafting responses to FCC rules, engaging with the low power
radio community, learning more about digital distribution services, and
grantwriting. We thank everyone who wrote sent us feedback about newsletter
#27 – we’re glad it was informative! But we also heard that
the newsletters are too long. So…we’re putting on our “economy
of language” hats for this report as well as shifting some longer
pieces to the website where folks can peruse them at their leisure. Let
us know if this makes the newsletters more readable. And now, the news:
A “Joint Statement on Current Issues in Radio” was delivered to the Federal Communications Commission and Congressional leaders by four organizations instrumental in the development of the statement: the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA); American Federation of Musicians (AFM); the Future of Music Coalition (FMC); and Recording Academy (NARAS). The “Joint Statement on Current Issues in Radio” was also signed by six other groups: Association for Independent Music (AFIM); Just Plain Folks; Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI); National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM); National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB); and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). read more
Hello again. It’s hard to believe how much we’ve tackled
in the five weeks that have passed since the last newsletter; from participating
in the webcasting debate, to moving forward on our health insurance study,
to filing comments with the FCC. Chalk it up to persistence, concern,
and more hours of daylight. Now, shortly before this newsletter’s release,
we get word from the US Copyright Office that the Librarian of Congress
has rejected the CARP proposals regarding webcasting rates and reporting
requirements. While the Office’s announcement did not include any particular
reasons for the rejection, we assume that the collective effort made by
webcasters, artists, and citizen groups to include their voices in the
debate has had an effect on the process.
Who can believe it’s almost summer again in Washington, DC? The "budding"
music-tech activism and "full-flower" of legislative comment
requests are so prevalent right now they are giving the cherry blossoms
a run for their money. Actually, we wouldn’t know about the status of
the cherry blossoms; we’ve been watching the changing season through the dusty windows of our
laptops. Hey, it may not be as breathtaking as a dogwood tree in full
bloom but changes like the ones we’ve been watching are always beautiful.
Check out the newest success stories.