RUMOR MILL
Friday, August 4, 2000
HITS REVIEWS A WEEK’S
WORTH OF DOG DAYS
UMG Buys Rondor, Dominates Charts, Jumps Into Download, Clear Channel Locks Up SFX
A summary of the week's top stories, as brought to you by hitsdailydouble.com:
- UNIVERSAL GOES RONDOR HUNTING: UMG adds a publishing jewel to its crown, but is it one company or two? (8/2)
- UMG IS UP ON THE DOWNLOAD: Universal is the third of the Big Five to enter the digital fray. (8/1)CLEAR CHANNEL IS CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF AFTER SFX DEAL: The 900-lb. Gorilla of radio, billboards, sports agencies, etc., gets a lot bigger after bagging concert promotion giant. (8/2)FAITH IS KING OF CMA HILL: Country superstar squares off against hubby Tim McGraw for "Entertainer of the Year" honors. Hee-haw! (8/1)
- CHARTS BOAST UNIVERSAL ACCLAIM WITH UMG GRABBING SIX OF TOP TEN: With "Now" leading the way, Universal Music Group nails 60% of Top Ten albums. (8/1)
- MP3.COM MUST PAY PER ALBUM, NOT TRACK: Finally, some good news for the beleagured Music Service Provider as it heads for trial phase. (7/31)
- VIACOM RESULTS IN: EBITDA, EBITDA, EBITDA: It's hot fun in the Sumner time, with MTV results leading the way. (8/3)
- ARISTA GETS DOWN WITH A LITTLE SHE'KSPERE: Arista ruler L.A. Reid hits the ground running, inking a label deal with renowned producer/songwriter Kevin Briggs. (8/1)
- NAPSTER TRAFFIC JAM IS ON AFTER COURT RULING: If you didn't know better, you might have thought getting sued by the RIAA was all part of Hummer Winblad's business plan. (8/2)
- WILL EMUSIC STAY JUST A LITTLE LONGER TO MAKE NAPSTER DEAL?: EMusic is among several companies eagerly awaiting the outcome of Napster's fate before swooping in. (8/1)
