Facing the Music Industry's Blade Runner Moment

Clyde Smith relates a very interesting article on the changing role of artist management after the presumed death of the conventional record industry on his blog at hypebot.com. The rise of do-it-yourself (D I.Y.) approaches in terms of record promotion and distribution. This partnered with the rise of a “true partnership between the artist and the management in carving out a successful an enterprise in association with the group with the artists” (Smith, 2011)

In focusing on the experiences of James Barton and Brian Message, two London-based music managers and representatives; Smith shares their vision on the focus and perspective that the traditional business model, one where the artists are treated as “commodities" (Smith). On the other hand, “the artist-fan relationship” is treated as highly as any of the old traditional rights (Smith).

So in reality what did it all mean? In their (Barton and Message) estimation, it gives rise to “every artist is being treated as a standalone business that generates income from multiple revenue streams.” Such a series of concepts requires a great deal of change in mindset and action for the majority of artists and managers. It is a new paradigm for an industry that is already conflicted by the destruction of its old model (the record business). And in turn, is model of domineering monetary rights and in ultimate artist control has led the two industry veterans to champion a new emphasis in how roles are defined and money and power are distributed between the parties.

In conclusion it can be related that this change in how business is conducted and the redefining of collective roles gives all of the parties involved a new definitive place at the table in terms of Barton and Message’s vision. However in broader strokes, the industry in many situations is still looking at older and possibly antiquated positions and models to try to rescue their industry. Where the industry (artists and managers market) goes from here is truly the $64,000 question.

 References:

 Smith, C. (2011, November 27). The essential role of artist management in the post label world.. Retrieved from http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2011/10/the-changing-role-of-artist-management-after-death-of-the-record-business.html

Romney Wages War On PBS

At a recent campaign stop Republican presidential nomination front-runner Mitt Romney, told an enthusiastic collection of supporters that he'd like to end all public funding for the Public Broadcasting System. Mr. Romney would in turn demand that PBS sell advertisements on all of it shows in order to fund its production and transmission costs

Being that I'm quite older than most traditional college students having just turned 49 in early October I've always had a fond place in my heart for what has been known to most American Public Broadcasting System better known as PBS. Scary as it may seem, I'm old enough to remember PBS's predecessor, an entity which was known as the National Educational Television system better known as NET. Please use the link on the history of educational and public television to see a great timeline on its history.

For 16 years, what has started out as a public-private experiment funded by the Ford Foundation in 1952 morphed into the series of television stations broadcasting on the  on the  UHF band providing educational programming for most Americans. Across time as programmers began to see the possibilities for more creative noncommercial programs, documentaries, and social issue-based programming private funding from the Ford Foundation begin to be challenged. And much like today, more conservative marketplaces and areas objected to what was considered to be a perceived liberal bias or slant on programming especially in terms of race and the showing of poverty through NET programming. In the early 1960s, Congress made a number of moves which cleared the way for better reception of UHF stations and a level of concern started to be expressed in regards to children's programming and the amount of commercialization and marketing directed at young people. The introduction of satellite technology and microwaves fixed service and allow for the expansion of educational programming and the Kennedy and Johnson administrations quickly embraced sending both legislation and funding request to Congress. By 1967 buoyed by successful regional regular programming from stations like W ETA in Washington DC or WGBH in Boston Massachusetts as well as a chain of national educational radio stations in April of that year; following a report funded by the Carnegie Foundation original legislation was passed creating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

It amuses me that individuals like Mr. Romney always promote that they are for smaller less interventionist government, however in order to make public broadcasting a private corporation will require the passing of a large series of laws and that the investments of large sums of money which can no longer be recouped by the federal government by statute and by law. So in undoing PBS, the Republicans are putting into motion another fiasco much like the U.S. Postal Service.