Archive for April, 2008

30
Apr

MySpace Launches “MySpace Karaoke”

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

MySpace, the world’s most popular social network, announced the beta launch of its newest offering, MySpace Karaoke (http://ksolo.myspace.com), powered by kSolo.

MySpace Karaoke is a powerful, user-generated music service that enables members to easily sing, record and share personalized renditions of their favorite songs with the MySpace community.

“MySpace Karaoke is another great way for people to express themselves, share their talents and personalities, and - simply put - have fun!” said Tom Anderson, co-founder and president of MySpace.

With just a microphone and an Internet connection, MySpace Karaoke offers users access to a broad selection of licensed tracks. The Web-based application delivers sing-along lyrics and recording capabilities, and also offers vocal and instrumental versions of fan favorites. Using state-of-the-art technology, MySpace Karaoke combines the highest quality of audio and recording capabilities online, with the most advanced sharing options.

The user friendly interface of MySpace Karaoke offers members the ability to browse songs, recordings and performers in a variety of categories including new releases, top artists, most popular, musical genre, and more.

MySpace members can sing, record, listen to and save up to ten songs on their personal MySpace Karaoke profile for free, with the most recent recordings automatically appearing on their MySpace profiles. They can then share recordings via bulletins with their friends on MySpace, embed them to their profiles, or bookmark their favorite recordings in their library. Members can listen to and rate their friends’ karaoke recordings, make comments and even become fans of a singer.

MySpace Karaoke is launching in the U.S. and will roll out to MySpace’s international territories in the coming months. MySpace Karaoke is powered by technology developed by kSolo, the world’s first Web-based karaoke service, and a Fox Interactive Media (FIM) company.

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29
Apr

Andy Martin Opposes Music Publishers

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

Andy Martin has long been an advocate of music licensing & a firm & resolute opponent to the long standing former music industry practise of assignment of song copyright to publishers for life of copyright (LOC).

In Andy´s experience, the double-edged sword of life of copyright & assignment of copyright for free (gifting ownership of the song) to publishers is the worst case scenario. Publishers would of course disagree & for obvious reasons that are steeped in vested interest & nothing more.

Songwriters, says Andy, have been disenfranchised over a barrel historically speaking, since the days of Music Hall & Tin Pan Alley, when old style music publishers instructed music lawyers to construct contracts that from the outset, disenfranchised the songwriter, leaving the publisher with: full controlling rights, 100% ownership of the song & the right to sell or assign the copyright to the highest bidder, with no dividend payable to the songwriter whatsoever.

To add insult to injury, as soon as the publisher had “acquired” the copyright (song) he then proceeded to license its use wherever & whenever possible. This ruinous practise (for the songwriter) has remained endemic in the former music business & has enabled publishers to build massive song copyright mountains, which are bought & sold over & over again to the highest bidders.

However, the new music business is fundamentally different in that it recognises that songwriters also have the right to own their own work & vitally, that they too can have the freedom to license its use. The most recent positive change in attitudes has been signalled by ASCAP who only last week went public with its proposed Bill Of Rights for Songwriters.

See: http://www.ascap.com/rights/

So far, this bill of rights has not encompassed or addressed the all important issue of removing from publishing contracts the basic mandatory “requirement” that songwriters must transfer ownership of copyright.

Andy asserts that there is absolutely no legal grounds for any songwriter to transfer ownership of the song whatsoever & that songwriters could just as easily license their songs to publishers, who could still work from a baseline of 50/50 of the profits.

In other words, nothing would change except that songwriters would retain first ownership of their songs (copyrights) in perpetuity for life of copyright. And, that the songwriter could decide when & if to sell their material at some future time to the highest bidder, or not.

Andy says: “Surely this is not the sole prerogative of the publisher & why should the songwriter be cut out of the loop? Especially when songs & the associated rights are the basic currency of the whole industry, bar none. If it were not for songwriters, there would be nothing to record & hence, no music industry whatsoever. Surely its time that songwriters were given their due, as without them, nothing else would exist, no-one would pass go & there would be no cigar. Standard song publishing contracts are onerous & injurous to the songwriter in total & whole & in fact, were designed to be so by dint of legal sleight of hand.”

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28
Apr

Universal Music Publishing Group Acquires Big Life Music

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

Paul Connolly, President of Europe & UK, Universal Music Publishing Group, announced the company’s acquisition of Big Life Music. As part of this agreement, UMPG has a worldwide publishing deal with multi-platinum selling Snow Patrol, encompassing past and future works.

Founded in 1987 by Jazz Summers and Tim Parry, Big Life embraces a wide and eclectic roster of songwriters covering hits of the past two decades. The Big Life Music catalogue includes over 2000 copyrights.

Snow Patrol have sold over seven million albums to date. Signed to Big Life since 2002, the catalogue comprises all songs from the phenomenally successful Final Straw (Fiction/Polydor) and Eyes Open (Fiction/Polydor) albums, including the hit singles “Chasing Cars,” “Run,” and “You’re All I Have.”

“Rarely do you find a music company as edgy and diversified as Big Life,” stated Connolly. “Jazz and Tim have consistently pushed the creative envelope over many years. We are delighted with the acquisition and of course very proud to represent Snow Patrol.”

Connolly’s tenure has seen UMP, the world’s leading global music publisher, emerge as a creative driving force across the industry. Snow Patrol join UMP UK’s successful roster of talent, including Adele, Lily Allen, Bjork, The Clash, Coldplay, Elvis Costello, The Cure, Feist, Franz Ferdinand, Elton John/Bernie Taupin, Joy Division, Keane, The Killers, Kate Nash, Sex Pistols, The Smiths, Van Morrison, and Paul Weller, amongst others.

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24
Apr

DiscoverMeLive.com: Talent Search Goes Digital

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

Social networking sites have become dominant forces on the Internet, but the social networking giants have left the talent showcase niche relatively untapped. Today, with the launch of DiscoverMeLive.com (http://www.discovermelive.com), that’s about to change.

Although DiscoverMeLive.com is a true social networking entity, the site also serves as a free online destination where anyone can be discovered for his or her talents. Members can upload the content that best demonstrates their abilities, from video clips and audio files to creative writing and art.

“I believe DiscoverMeLive.com was created at the perfect time,” stated DiscoverMeLive.com founder Kevin Dodd. “Everyone wants to be famous or to be known for something special. People also want to start making money off their contributions to the social networking giants, because - after all - without their content, there is nothing.”

And that is another important distinction of DiscoverMeLive.com: Members can win monthly prize money and even sell their content through the site.

But members aren’t the only ones who will benefit from DiscoverMeLive.com. For every 100 new members, the site will donate $2 to the Canadian Cancer Foundation. It’s an offer that stands for the life of the site, no matter how many hundreds of members join.

Dodd came up with the idea behind DiscoverMeLive.com a little over a year ago. Though he had wanted to own a record company for as long as he could remember, Dodd knew the industry was on a downhill slide, thanks in part to the proliferation of social networks and file sharing sites. He realized there was still room for a specialized site to make a big impact, however, and DiscoverMeLive.com was born.

The site is currently in beta launch; Dodd is actively seeking feedback and suggestions from members. DiscoverMeLive.com will officially launch in early fall 2008. In the meantime, anyone looking for a unique online community for networking, making friends, sharing and voting on content, and even competing for a monthly cash prize, is invited to become a member of DiscoverMeLive.com. To learn more about DiscoverMeLive.com, or to upload photo, video, text or graphic files, visit the site at http://www.discovermelive.com.

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23
Apr

U.S. Consumers Anticipate Spending Less On Entertainment This Year

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

According to The NPD Group, a leading market research company, keeping consumers excited about devices and hardware may be the secret to industry success in the current challenging economic environment. Results from NPD’s upcoming “Entertainment Trends In America” report showed that 37 percent of Americans believe they will spend less on entertainment products and devices in 2008 versus 2007, compared to just 18 percent who anticipate spending more.

Just under half of respondents to NPD’s survey (46 percent) thought they would spend about the same amount in 2008 as in the prior year. Teens were the only age group where spending tipped positive; 30 percent believed they would spend more than last year, versus 25 percent who thought they would spend less.

“Entertainment has historically been a reasonably recession-proof spending category,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD, “but in the 2001 recession there were a spate of new gaming platforms, DVD was a relatively new format, and music CDs hadn’t yet suffered the full onslaught of digital downloading. It appears from our recent consumer surveys that the current economic climate might be more challenging for those who make and sell entertainment products.”

Consumers who plan to spend more on entertainment this year are primarily focused on buying new devices (e.g., Blu-ray Disc players and the latest gaming consoles), rather than on purchasing new entertainment content (e.g., DVDs, music). This finding indicates that the industry will have to work harder to successfully market entertainment content to this group of consumers. The uncertain state of the U.S. economy, and worries about disposable income had little to do with these consumers’ entertainment spending outlook.

Consumers who demonstrated a negative outlook on future spending tended to focus their reasoning on economic factors, such as the increasing price of energy and food. They expressed a clear belief that the economy would get worse, and as a result their finances would be strained, thus causing entertainment spending to suffer. This widely held opinion pervaded all income groups, although predictably it was somewhat less prevalent among households earning more than $100,000 per year.

Data note: Information in this press release was derived from The NPD Group’s “Entertainment Trends in America” consumer surveys, the results of which will be made available to NPD clients later this Spring. Data was based on a sample of more than 11,000 consumers, and results were balanced to reflect the U.S. population age 13 and older.

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22
Apr

New Online Label Store VirtualMusicMarket.com Debuts

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

Nashville songplugger Raleigh Squires, a 30-plus-year veteran of the music business, has announced the opening of a new Internet record label/music download store at www.VirtualMusicMarket.com.

According to Squires the store will serve as a platform from which independent artists and musicians can market their music in a different way than most of the other online stores. The label/store debuts with six independent artist products and also serves as a portal to Amazon.com’s mainstream music downloads in addition to movies, videos, books, and e-books. Squires’ daughter Sarah, a 10-year Nashville advertising and marketing executive, is also a partner in the venture.

The store/label will pick and choose the best independents they can acquire either through purchase of the master or on a consignment basis, and will release, service, and promote each act to radio through Squires’ digital radio promotion company, 1617 Virtual. The company will also market the store and the music to consumers via the Internet and through conventional advertising.

So far, the roster includes country duo Thompson Square, alternative/blues artist Kristen Cothron, two projects from Delbert McClinton’s son, Clay McClinton, singer/songwriter Toni Catlin and a digital reissue of an Allen Reynolds-Mark Miller-produced album by 2007 Musicians Hall of Fame inductees, The Memphis Boys, comprised of Memphis/Nashville studio players Reggie Young, Bobby Wood, Gene Chrisman, Mike Leech and Bobby Emmons.

“All of these projects have been around awhile but because they didn’t fit any specific radio formats, they really haven’t seen the light of day,” Squires said. “Our quest for them is to expose the music because we believe if people hear what they have to offer, they’ll play it and buy it.”

Country husband/wife duo Thompson Square is the most recently recorded project and is a prime example, according to Squires, of the current condition of the music industry. Their self-written, self-produced and self-funded project has gotten little interest from Nashville’s major labels and publishers.

“These kids have the product, the music and the performance and they’ve done it all on their own. They have a story and they have the ‘it’ factor we’re all looking for, in my opinion,” Squires said. “But the majors are handcuffed. The whole business is in a state of flux and panic has kind of set in. Most of them seem to be waiting for the next axe to fall. The label mergers and consolidations have all their developmental projects waiting in line to get a shot at the multi-million dollar radio promotion conduit which automatically sets almost all of them up to fail because they have to be multi-platinum sellers to recoup the labels’ money. Now TV popularity contests, MySpace and iTunes are the determining factors as to what becomes a hit. Radio keeps getting the same old same old from them and outside of Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Kenny Chesney, there’s not a lot for anybody to be excited about.

“If the majors had done this kind of thing 10 years ago, we wouldn’t have turned the music business over to the Internet computer gurus,” Squires said in his announcement. “The business would be paying itself, the artists, the labels, and the publishers the same way it always had been instead of finding itself in an ongoing battle over royalties for artists, publishers, and writers. They thought they had to apply the same distribution principle to the Internet as they did to the physical brick and mortar locations which is a good example of how they’ve misunderstood what was happening. Now the master and copyright owners really control all the content and they really don’t have to give up control of their work.”

“Internet entrepreneurs saw how the Web was a huge advantage by digitally distributing music. Unfortunately, they saw it as a way to steal music instead of sell it so the industry fought it tooth-and-nail. Where we are now is anybody and everybody can put their music in every store out there and every site seems like a big car wreck. The music industry itself has pretty much lost control of the whole ball-of-wax. We’re very unconventional and we’ve decided we’re going to beat our heads against a different brick wall.”

Squires has primarily been an independent songplugger for the last five years since leaving The City Paper where he was the startup’s managing editor from its outset. His songplugging service, HitMenSongpluggers.com, was one of the first to utilize the Internet to pitch songs and his clients averaged over 12,000 mp3 clicks per year over the past three years. He had previously been involved in the Mel Tillis companies as a songwriter and plugger on and off for nearly 20 years.

For product samples, click below or cut and paste this address into your browser address window..

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21
Apr

Mega-Platinum Recording Artists Motley Crue And Revolutionary Music Video Game Rock Band Team Up To Make History

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

Two of rock & roll’s biggest powerhouses—mega-platinum recording artists Mötley Crüe and revolutionary music video game Rock Band —are joining forces to make history. Harmonix and MTV Games announced today that Mötley Crüe will be the first band to release their brand-new single, “Saints Of Los Angeles,” as a downloadable, playable track through Rock Band. The track, released on Mötley Records, will be available for download for $0.99 beginning on April 15th via Xbox LIVE Marketplace (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) and on April 17th via the PLAYSTATIONStore.

In addition, Rock Band will be joining Mötley Crüe on tour for this year’s much-buzzed-about CRUE FEST, a 40-city summer blockbuster that will see the Crüe headlining an all-star bill featuring Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx: A.M. and Trapt. At each stop on tour, the fold-out Rock Band Second Stage Experience will give fans the on-site opportunity to become their very own rock star - by trying out the Rock Band game as a bassist, guitarist, drummer, or vocalist!  In every tour market, Crüe Fest fans will get the chance to battle it out in their very own Rock Band for the chance to take the Crüe Fest concert stage between acts and become the local Rock Band champion!

Rock Band by MTV Games and Harmonix is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with and experience music. Currently available for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system, and the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Rock Band challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune, mastering lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. With more master recordings than any other music game, Rock Band features some of the world’s biggest rock artists and spans every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock to heavy metal and punk.  For more information on Rock Band, please visit www.rockband.com

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21
Apr

ASCAP Launches Bill Of Rights For Songwriters / Composers

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

To remind the public, members of the music industry and U.S. legislators of the central role and rights of those who conceive and create music, ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) today officially launched a ‘Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers.’

This awareness-building initiative centers around 10 core principles, including “We have the right to be compensated for the use of our creative works, and share in the revenues that they generate” and “We have the right to license our works and control the ways in which they are used.” (See full text of the Bill below and at www.ascap.com/rights/billText.aspx)

These rights, all of which are already inherent in the act of music creation and protected by U.S. copyright law, are increasingly under threat as competing interests argue over the future of the business of music - and as growing numbers of individuals bypass payment altogether to illegally share music online.

“Given the many issues surrounding the music industry today, it can be all too easy to overlook the source of it all - individual songwriters, lyricists and composers,” said ASCAP President and Chairman and Academy Award-winning lyricist, Marilyn Bergman. “That is why ASCAP has launched this Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers. Our goal is to remind lawmakers, the general public and music creators themselves of the rights that are inherent in their art. We simply cannot allow the original source of all music to be lost in the shuffle.”

Developed by ASCAP to support and empower all those who create music, the ‘Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers’ debuted during ASCAP “I Create Music” Week at the 25th Annual Pop Music Awards held on April 9 and was also introduced to attendees of the third annual ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO (April 10-12). In just a few days, more than 500 signatures were collected including: Lionel Richie, Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson, Justin Timberlake, Desmond Child, Jackson Browne, Steve Miller, Marilyn Bergman, Alan Bergman, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Chamillionaire, Keri Hilson, Johnta Austin and John Rzeznik.

These 500-plus signatures served as the kick-off to a grassroots campaign that, over the next few months, will collect signatures and support from both established and aspiring songwriters, lyricists and composers from all genres of musical compositions.  Those who wish to add their support to the Bill can sign it electronically at www.ascap.com/rights.

As part of this initiative, ASCAP also wrote a perspective piece on the relevance and importance of music copyright protection, titled “Music Copyright in the Digital Age: A Position Paper” which may be viewed and downloaded from www.ascap.com/rights/billText.aspx

“The signatures that we collect on this Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers will be shared with key legislators in Washington, as well as numerous other leaders both inside and outside the music industry,” said ASCAP CEO John A. LoFrumento. “Now is the time to ensure that everyone who has a stake in determining the future of music, both as an art and as an industry, recognizes the importance of protecting creators’ rights.”

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17
Apr

“Beetle” Mania Hits Nickelodeon’s Airwaves As The Wonder Pets! Jet To Liverpool To Rescue Their Musical Idols

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

Lenie Colacino and Tom Teeley of Broadway’s Beatlemania to Guest-Voice Animated Bug Band in a Wonder Pets! Homage to The Beatles
Composed by Larry Hochman (Monty Python’s Spamalot)

Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment to Release The Wonder Pets!: Save the Beetles! DVD on Tuesday, April 22

(*DVD’s and art available upon request)

NEW YORK, April 2, 2008 – There’s a new kind of Beatlemania craze hitting the preschool airwaves as The Wonder Pets! travel to Liverpool, England, to save their favorite rock band on “Save the Beetles!”, a new primetime musical adventure premiering Monday, April 21, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. The Wonder Pets! tribute to the Fab Four features Lenie Colacino and Tom Teeley of Broadway’s Beatlemania as guest voices for the famous animated bug band The Beetles. The new mini-operetta is composed by Larry Hochman (orchestration for Monty Python’s Spamalot), who also serves as lead composer on the series.

In addition, three new The Wonder Pets! episodes will premiere the week of April 21 in the series’ regular Nick Jr. weekday timeslot (10:00 a.m., ET/PT), including “Save the Gecko!” (Wednesday, April 23), “Save the Griffin!” (Thursday, April 24) and “Here’s Ollie!” (Friday, April 25).

“The Beatles transcend every age group and The Wonder Pets bring that iconic sound to the next generation of Beatle fans,” said Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. “We hope everyone at home will ‘come together’ to watch this very funny homage.”

In “Save the Beetles,” The Wonder Pets embark on a musical journey to Liverpool, England, to save a band of mop-haired beetles – Jack, Pete, Greg and Wingo – who are trapped in a yellowish submarine tangled up in kelp. Will the famous band miss their highly anticipated undersea concert at the Octopus’ Garden? After receiving a distress call from The Beetles on their tin-can phone, Linny the Guinea Pig, Turtle Tuck and Ming-Ming Duckling hop into their fly sub to rescue their musical idols. In their first attempt to save The Beetles, The Wonder Pets use a rope to try to free the submarine from kelp, but the rope breaks causing the ship to spring a leak. Running low on time, the trio puts on their swim gear and use teamwork to untangle the mess while The Beetles patch up the sub’s leak. They free the band in the nick of time and are invited to attend The Beetles concert as their guests of honor, for their heroic efforts.

The half-hour episode also features a second new adventure from The Wonder Pets! titled “Three Wonder Pets And A Baby!” In this second story, a Piglet comes to live in the classroom, but The Wonder Pets each want to take care of it on their own. They realize they must work together to care for the rather large baby pig.

On Tuesday, April 22, Nick Jr. will release a new DVD titled The Wonder Pets!: Save the Beetles!, created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment. The DVD will feature the title special episode, in addition to three other The Wonder Pets! Adventures: “Save the Chameleon/Save the Platypus,” “Save the Duckling/Save the Kitten” and “Save the Sheep/Save the Hermit Crab.” Bonus features on The Wonder Pets!: Save the Beetles! include the music video “Kelp!” from the “Save the Beetles!” episode.

Beginning Monday, April 7, Nick Jr. will roll out content from “Save the Beetles!” across the following platforms:
• Video On Demand will feature a two-minute ‘sneak peek’ and clips from “Save the Beetles!”, plus additional episodes from The Wonder Pets! on Comcast, Charter, Cablevision, Verizon FiOS and Cox.
• Nick Jr. Video, Nick Jr.’s broadband video service available on Nickjr.com, will begin streaming a two-minute ‘sneak peek’ and clips from “Save the Beetles!” plus additional episodes from The Wonder Pets!
• A two-minute ‘sneak peek’ from “Save the Beetles!” plus additional clips and music videos from the episode will be available on wireless carriers.

Beginning Wednesday, March 26, Nick Jr.’s award-winning website (www.nickjr.com) will feature new activities to complement the premiere of “Save the Beetles!” including Beetles concert-themed iron-on T-shirts, printable concert tickets, and printable posters. Preschoolers and their parents will also be invited to submit photos with their T-shirts and tickets for a chance to see their pictures featured on Nickjr.com.

The Wonder Pets!, from creator/executive producer Josh Selig of Little Airplane Productions, Inc., is TV’s first mini-operetta for preschoolers and the first preschool series to feature an extensive lineup of Tony award-winning and nominated Broadway composers, including the series’ lead composer Larry Hochman (orchestration for Monty Python’s Spamalot), Bobby Lopez (Avenue Q), and Jason Robert Brown (Parade). Grammy Award-winning producer and recording engineer Jeffrey Lesser serves as music producer/music supervisor for the series. All of the music on The Wonder Pets! is recorded with a live orchestra and much of the dialogue is sung in operetta style.

The Wonder Pets! chronicles the adventures of three funny, singing classroom pets: Linny the Guinea Pig, Ming-Ming Duckling and Turtle Tuck, who travel the world and use teamwork to save baby animals in distress. Every episode of The Wonder Pets! is an original mini-operetta filled with world music influences suited to the locale of the day’s adventure. At the end of each school day when the teachers and students have all gone home, the fearless trio become The Wonder Pets!. In every story, The Wonder Pets! receive a call on a tin-can phone from a baby animal who needs their help. The trio quickly assembles their Flyboat, made from a collection of classroom toys and travel together across oceans, into space, and even back in time to save animals in distress. Like real preschoolers, The Wonder Pets! have no actual super powers, but they work together as a team to overcome adversity and achieve great success.

A new, original style of animation called photo-puppetry animation was created at Little Airplane Productions by Jennifer Oxley for The Wonder Pets! The technique allows animators to manipulate photographs of real animals, creating a comical, realistic look that is striking and unique.

The show’s curricular goals are based on developing appreciation and orientation towards teamwork and creative problem solving.

Little Airplane Productions specializes in quality film & television programming for young children. Founded by Josh Selig in 1999, Little Airplane Productions created and produced The Wonder Pets! for Nick Jr., Go, Baby! for Playhouse Disney, and Oobi! for NOGGIN (winner of a 2001 Gold Parents’ Choice Award). Additionally, Josh Selig was the Head Writer for Little Bill on Nick Jr. He has received ten Emmy Awards for his writing on Sesame Street, and was the Resident Producer of the historic Israeli/Palestinian Sesame Street co-production (winner of the 1998 Japan Prize). For more information about Little Airplane Productions please visit www.littleairplane.com.

Nick Jr. is a specially designed programming block airing on Nickelodeon weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Completely dedicated to preschoolers ages 2-5, Nick Jr.’s Emmy, Peabody and Parents’ Choice Award-winning programs are curriculum based, fun and commercial free. At Nick Jr., kids play to learn with innovative, original shows created just for them.

Nickelodeon, now in its 29th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for more than 13 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

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15
Apr

Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French Creates New Rock Anthem For Obama Supporters

   Posted by: mwatkins    in Publishing News

Twisted Sister founder and guitarist Jay Jay French has created a rock anthem for a new political generation. Recorded by Jay Jay French And Friends, “I Want Barack” is a rewrite using the template of one of the biggest anthems of the ’80s and one of Twisted Sister’s biggest hits (”I Wanna Rock”).   “I Want Barack” is a rousing battle cry for Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. It is expected to be featured at upcoming Obama rallies.

A lifelong political devotee, French comes from a long line of activists. His mother Evaline French Segall ran the Upper West Side campaign headquarters for John F. Kennedy during his Presidential bid and was later the campaign manager for the first African American woman ever elected to the New York State Senate, Constance Baker Motley.

With “I Want Barack”, French lends his support to Senator Obama in the best way he knows how - with a raucous rock song. French commented, “Inspired by a deep desire to see Senator Obama elected President of the United States, I set out to create an anthem that could be sung in large gatherings as a rock n’ roll version of ‘Hail To The Chief’.” The single is currently available for download on iTunes and Amazon.com and a new video can be seen on YouTube.

Please click here to view the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgkrX-NSt6Q.

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