The Fox network is reportedly close to a deal that would keep “American Idol” on television on the air for three more seasons despite the recent announcement from Simon Cowell’s brother Tony that the notoriously prickly British judge will leave the talent show at the end of his contract in 2010.
Sony posted a whopping 95% decrease in profits last quarter compared to the same quarter last year. Gaming was was the biggest disappointment down 97%, but music did its part to contribute to the downward spiral. Even when factoring out the expensive purchase of BMG’s half of the former Sony BMG, music profits declined 41% driven by a 22% decrease in sales. Sony has avoided the recent wholesale staff cuts made by other labels favoring more targeted layoffs. But as losses mount and the world economy worsens, sources hint that Sony’s layoff scalpel could become a hatchet. Sony Financial… Read more »
Oasis are back with a new video, this time for “Falling Down,” the latest single of the band’s Dig Out Your Soul. Directed by Wiz, the video’s plot seems pretty clear, as we follow a bright-eyed, luxurious young woman from random people’s beds to random drug dens. Later on, we see the woman putting on a crown, meaning that she’s regal or something, and on a red carpet event Oasis’ Gallagher brothers both snub the woman, hinting that one or both of them got it on with a member of the Royal Family. How do we know she’s a member… Read more »
R. Kelly’s 16-year-old nephew Brayel Kelly has been charged as an adult with attempted murder, according to authorities, after an incident in the Chicago area earlier this month in which the teen was shot. Calumet City police told MTV News that on November 6, Brayel Kelly – the son of R. Kelly’s estranged brother Carey Kelly – went into a barbershop and allegedly tried to rob the owner by producing a gun and demanding that the owner place his money and jewelry in a plastic bag. Though the owner complied, he also took out a weapon. Police said Kelly fired,… Read more »
Hide your children … Here I Come Falling are coming to DJ Rossstar’s Punk Rock Show, and the studio will never be the same again. [cut=When is it?] With only one day to spare until the beginning of the Scream the Prayer” tour, Here I Come Falling will be taking your questions; playing tracks from their new record, Oh Grave, Where Is Thy Victory; and performing an acoustic version of Paramore‘s “Misery Business.” (OK … I made up that last part.) Teen heartthrobs (and one of Victory Records‘ newest signings) Thieves and Villains will also be calling the show to… Read more »
Napster Inc. on Tuesday opened what they claim is the world’s biggest MP3 download store with more than 6 million songs in a direct challenge to Apple Inc’s iTunes store. The new Web-based music store will have digital songs from all major music labels as well as thousands of independent labels. The MP3-format songs will be compatible with the vast majority of digital media devices and mobile phones including Apple’s popular iPod as well as its iPhone. Before now Napster has focused on selling all-you-can-eat monthly streaming music subscription packages but has struggled to win over the majority of fans… Read more »
Scores of workers from MTV Networks walked off the job yesterday afternoon, filling the sidewalk outside the headquarters of its corporate parent, Viacom, to protest recent changes in benefits. The walkout highlighted the concerns of a category of workers who are sometimes called permalancers: permanent freelancers who work like full-time employees but do not receive the same benefits. Waving signs that read “Shame on Viacom,” the workers, most of them in their 20s, demanded that MTV Networks reverse a plan to reduce health and dental benefits for freelancers beginning Jan. 1. In a statement, MTV Networks noted that its benefits… Read more »
Warner Music Group Corp, the world’s third-largest music company, on Thursday posted a 58 percent drop in quarterly profit, hurt by an industry-wide slump in CD sales, as more fans bought songs online. Although Warner’s revenue rose 2 percent to $869 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, it declined 2 percent when taking out the impact of the weaker dollar. The company also posted weaker international sales, particularly in the United Kingdom. Digital music revenue was up 25 percent at $130 million during the quarter, but this could not make up for the short-fall in compact disc sales. U.S. album… Read more »
During her Tuesday night performance in Orlando, Florida, Beyoncé took a rather epic header down a flight of stairs – a tumble, of course, captured on camera by several fans in attendance.To her credit, not only did B press on with the show, she later joked about the fall, telling the audience that it “hurt so bad” and imploring, “Don’t put [the footage] on YouTube.” Of course, those in the audience did the exact opposite, and by the following morning, several different clips of her spill were among the “Most Watched” and “Most Discussed” on the site. Given Beyoncé’s plea,… Read more »
The official story goes like this: On the last night of Jim Morrison’s life, the rocker went to a movie in Paris, listened to records, fell ill and died of heart failure in his bathtub at the age of 27. But rumors have always swirled around the death of The Doors frontman and, 36 years later, a former Paris nightclub manager is telling a different story. In a new book, Sam Bernett says that Morrison died in a toilet stall of his club after what he believes was a heroin overdose. He writes of his shock on finding Morrison’s body:… Read more »
