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The government seemed to side with Internet broadcasters when establishing a royalty rate Thursday, and although the new fees were lower than a proposal rejected last month, the costs may force several independent Net radio stations out of business. The U.S. Copyright Office settled on a rate of 0.07 cent per listener per song for both Internet-only stations and conventional stations that simulcast their programming on the Web, according to a government spokesperson. The rate is exactly half of what the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP), a three-member board appointed by the Copyright Office, suggested in February that Internet-only stations… Read more »

A concert in Antigua by Grammy Award winning rhythm and blues singer Alicia Keys was canceled because the concert’s promoters didn’t pay her appearance fees, her agent said. The concert, scheduled for Friday night, was advertised as the first of a Caribbean tour. The amount of the contract was reported to be $60,000. “The promoters… did not live up to their contractual obligations,” said Keys’ agent, Rob Light of the Beverly Hill-based Creative Artists Agency, in a letter sent to Antigua Junior Finance Minister Asot Michael. “Their total disregard for the agreement left us great concern as to the viability… Read more »

Puddle of Mudd are planning the follow-up to Come Clean, only they won’t do that with the details. While the producer and song ideas are “top secret,” singer Wes Scantlin revealed the schedule for recording the album, which should be released early next year. “After the European tour, we’ll be back in September and doing a lot of just jammin’,” Scantlin said backstage at KROQ Weenie Roast. “We have a lot of new songs and they are ready to go, and we can’t wait to get back in the studio [in October].” Puddle of Mudd, whose Come Clean has scored… Read more »

In a decision criticized by both Webcasters and the recording industry, a government official Thursday ruled that Internet radio stations must pay royalty rates that are 50 percent less than proposed by a federal panel. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has ruled that all Webcasters will have to pay 0.07 cents per song per performance, compared with the 0.14 cents per song per performance recommended by a federal arbitration panel in February. But Billington stunned Webcasters by flatly rejecting their call for royalty rates that are based on a percentage of revenues. While the recording industry said Billington’s decision… Read more »

Former Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby died at his Los Angeles home on Thursday morning following a long battle with AIDS. He was 42. The cause of death has not yet been determined, according to Craig Harvey, operations chief for the Los Angeles coroner’s office. One of the original members of the ’80s metal rockers known for hits such as “Round and Round” and “Lay It Down,” Crosby began speaking out several years ago about his drug use in the band’s heyday and how it led to his contraction of the deadly virus nearly eight years ago. Ratt formed in the… Read more »

Dee Dee Ramone, a founding member of punk pioneers the Ramones, died Wednesday night in his Hollywood home, according to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office. The bassist was 50 Ramone (born Douglas Glenn Colvin) was found unresponsive by his wife around 8:40 p.m. She called police, and fire department paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. A coroner’s office spokesperson said the case will be treated as a possible accidental drug overdose. Investigators found a syringe and other drug paraphernalia on Ramone’s kitchen counter. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday (June 6). Dee Dee formed the… Read more »

Michael Jackson addressed his rumored dispute with Sony Music for the first time Wednesday when he aligned himself with a new artist-rights initiative and released a statement condemning the music industry and his label. At a New York press conference Jackson was named the first member of a coalition formed by the Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Johnnie Cochran to investigate whether record companies are financially exploiting artists. “Record companies have to start treating their artists with respect, honor, and financial justice,” Jackson said in a statement. “Therefore, I am proud to join this coalition which represents all artists.” The… Read more »

An international media horde gathered Thursday at a remote Irish castle hotel, where the owner announced that Paul McCartney and his fiancee, Heather Mills, would have their wedding reception next week. “We are told vaguely it is next Tuesday, but it is all secret. I have to keep it dead-secret,” said Sir John Leslie, owner of Castle Leslie, an offbeat luxury hotel in County Monaghan bordering Northern Ireland. “They might do something at the last minute or change it. You never know.” Leslie, 84, sporting a green beret with a peacock feather, added that McCartney had visited the hotel last… Read more »

Dee Dee Ramone, a founding member of punk pioneers the Ramones, died Wednesday night in his Hollywood home, according to a spokesperson for the L.A. County Coroner’s office. The bassist was 50. Ramone (born Douglas Glenn Colvin) was found unresponsive by his wife at approximately 8:40 p.m. PT. She then called the Los Angeles Police Department, and L.A. City Fire Department paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. A cause of death is yet to be determined by the coroner, whose spokesperson said the case will be worked as a possible accidental drug overdose. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday… Read more »

Hobbits ruled, Kelly Osbourne came out and Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Gellar showed off their pipes when the 2002 MTV Movie Awards were handed out Saturday night at the Shrine Auditorium. The event will be broadcast Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with MTV News’ pre-show coverage kicking off at 8:30 p.m. Peter Jackson’s adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” took home the night’s most prized pile of golden popcorn, nabbing Best Movie. However, Nicole Kidman walked away from the Shrine as the night’s big winner, grabbing trophies for Best Female Performance and Best… Read more »