Media Ownership

FMC Keynote Address at Minnesota Music Summit

Interim Executive Director Casey Rae Speaks to MN Musicians and Composers

Casey Rae

Monday, March 10, 2014

Good morning. Thank you for all for being here, and thank you for having me at the Minnesota Music Summit. It’s truly an honor to be joining you at this amazing event. Today, I want to explore the future of music, which is still being written, and which you all can play a part in writing. Some of the issues I’ll be bringing up will no doubt be familiar to you. Others may not be as familiar. But it’s not just about me giving some prepared remarks, it’s about dialog. It’s about the very real connections between people who are passionate about music, who create it and nurture it. And those are the connections that I love to make. In 2014, there’s no single approach to being a musician or composer, so it’s become critical that we listen and learn from one another.

Label Battles Remixed: EDM in the Era of Consolidation

by Mary Willson, Communications Intern

You might think a two-time Grammy-nominee more than once named America’s Best DJ by DJ Times would be immune to label pressures. But as DJ and producer Kaskade explained in a series of tweets last month, that’s not the case. The frequent festival headliner (real name: Ryan Raddon) announced he is “in between labels,” leaving behind former label/publisher/mangement company Ultra Music (part owned by major label Sony): read more

What’s Wrong With the Comcast/Time Warner Merger

By The Editors

The Nation

February 19, 2014

The proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable into a telecommunications behemoth is the media equivalent of “too big to fail” banking. If the largest cable provider in the United States is allowed to merge with the second-largest, people living in major cities, suburbs and small towns across the country will find themselves even more tightly locked into a dysfunctional relationship with a monopolistic corporation focused on maximizing profits rather than serving local citizens. At the same time, the new cable giant will own national news, entertainment, sports and Spanish-language networks.

Comcast Takeover of Time Warner Cable is a Bum Note for Musicians

On February 12, 2014, news broke that Comcast, already America’s biggest Internet service provider and video distributor, would attempt to buy Time Warner Cable for 45.2 billion dollars. The deal would impact everything from internet access and pricing to how media is delivered.

The following statement is from FMC Interim Executive Director Casey Rae: read more

FMC Statement on Proposed Comcast/TWC Merger

February 13, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC— On February 12, 2014, news broke that Comcast, already America’s biggest Internet service provider and video distributor, would attempt to buy Time Warner Cable.

The following statement is from FMC Interim Executive Director Casey Rae: read more

FMC Statement on Departure of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski

Today, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced that he would be stepping down from his post, which he has held since the 2008 election of President Barack Obama. read more

Future of Music Statement on the Departure of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski

March 22, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced that he would be stepping down from his post, which he has held since the 2008 election of President Barack Obama.

The following statement is attributed to Casey Rae, Deputy Director of Future of Music Coalition (FMC), a national non-profit research, education and advocacy organization for musicians.

“News of Chairman Genachowski’s departure was not unexpected, and comes at a crucial time for the FCC in terms of its commitments to an accessible media and communications environment for America. read more

Why Media Ownership Matters to Musicians

Are you a musician? Do you live in a town with an awesome music scene? Are you or any of your peers enjoying recognition in your community or beyond? Do you get airplay on your local commercial radio station?

If you live in Los Angeles and your band is Red Hot Chili Peppers, you can skip the last question. If you are among the rest of musical humanity, we’re guessing the answer is “not so much.”

A more important question to ask is why even the most celebrated local and regional bands can’t crack commercial playlists in their own backyards. This has much less to do with talent or popularity and everything to do with media ownership.

So who’s in charge of that, anyway? read more

Local Media (Still) Matters

Where do you get your media? If you’re like millions of people, it’s probably some combination of the internet, broadcasting and even old-fashioned print publications. As the adage goes, information is power — now more than ever before. Which is why diversity of channels and viewpoints is so important. The internet is amazing in this regard, but it’s only part of the picture. Local media can offer a platform for community voices that tend to get lost in the vastness of the global internet. Not to mention the fact that not every American has access to affordable broadband. This is why it is crucial to nurture diversity of content and programming on traditional media platforms like radio. read more

Call to the FCC: Focus on Diversity

Today, a group of 46 signees sent a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski urging the Commission to make diversity a central focus of its upcoming Quadrennial Media Ownership Rule Review.

The letter calls for the FCC to:

1. Evaluate the impact of its media ownership rules on ownership opportunities for women and people of color.
2. Take proactive measures to promote ownership of broadcast stations by underrepresented groups.
3. Guard against further erosion of media ownership among these groups by maintaining existing media ownership limits. read more