ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento is Elected to CISAC Board of Directors

Ringing in its first-ever significant statute change in nearly 40 years, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) has elected a new Board of Directors to lead its organization and has passed resolutions supporting cultural diversity and digital interoperability. Representing the United States, ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento was elected to the 20 member Board.

The election of the Board followed a historic vote on October 20th, when CISAC member societies approved new statutes that will guide the confederation and help it meet the challenges presented by the increasing digital diffusion of creative works.

As stated in CISAC's statutes, the Board consists of at least two societies from each region and from each CISAC repertoire, which includes music, the visual arts, dramatic and literary texts and audiovisual works. For a similar purpose, the new Board must contain two vice-chairs each representing different CISAC repertoires.

Cees Vervoord, the CEO of Dutch musical society BUMA, has been elected Chairman of this new Board, which replaces previous CISAC structures known as the Administrative Council and Executive Bureau. Elected Vice-Chairmen were Brett Cottle, CEO of Australasian musical society APRA, and Gerhard Pfennig, General Manager of German visual arts society BILD-KUNST.

In addition to the new Board, the German composer and GEMA Chairman Christian Brühn, and Mexican playwright and SOGEM President, Víctor Hugo, Rascón Banda, were re-elected as CISAC President and Vice-President, respectively.

CISAC Secretary General Eric Baptiste was re-elected for a new six-year term. Under the new statutes, his title will become Director General.

Accompanying these elections was the approval of two resolutions in line with the new statutes, which emphasize the confederation's commitment to meeting the challenges of the digital age:

CISAC calls upon all governments to fight strongly against Internet piracy, to promote software interoperability, and to support the creation of online music and audiovisual distribution services that are both legal and promote cultural diversity.

ASCAP Announces Strategic Tech Relationship with Transmedia

ASCAP has announced that it has entered into an agreement with TransMedia for the use of TransMedia’s Colaborata 2.5 digital media management and collaboration platform. Colaborata 2.5 provides an integrated, online media environment to securely manage and preview music, videos, pictures, documents and related information.

"Technological innovation and member service are top priorities for ASCAP, said Chris Amenita, Senior Vice President, ASCAP Enterprises Group. "We're looking forward to working with TransMedia and using their Colaborata 2.5 platform to help simplify our internal digital media management and collaboration needs, and provide state-of-the-art service to our members."

"We are very excited about the opportunity to work with the world's leading performing rights organization,” said Donald Leka, Chairman and CEO of TransMedia. “The Colaborata 2.5 platform will provide ASCAP with an integrated and compatible solution that will allow them to cost-effectively manage and share digital media on a secure basis."

Mediaguide Launches New Monitor^TM Airplay Reporting Products

ASCAP media partner offers comprehensive platform to provide competitive advantage to record labels, artists, broadcasters and music creators

Mediaguide, the world's leading provider of airplay measurement and information, has announced the introduction of a new and enhanced product portfolio that is already revolutionizing the way those dependent on airplay information and analysis are doing business. Three factors are making this possible:

First, Mediaguide has built the world's largest broadcast monitoring network, currently providing real-time measurement and reporting of nearly 2,500 radio and television stations' programming across more than 200 major U.S. markets. This makes Mediaguide the preeminent source of accurate, real time, reliable and comprehensive airplay data. It specifically provides more airplay coverage than all its competitors combined.

ASCAP members can now receive discounted subscriptions to Music Monitor tm and Artist Monitor tm. Call Mediaguide at 610-578-0800.

Second, because data and statistics are not enough in today's competitive business world, Mediaguide has transformed its technological tracking expertise into very unique products and customized reporting formats that meet the information needs of specific customers.

And third, Mediaguide has integrated its ground breaking Frequency Media resources, products and services to provide customers with the most varied and valuable coverage in the tracking industry, including college and non-commercial radio.

The new Mediaguide Monitor product line up includes MusicMonitor^TM, specifically designed for music industry professionals such as record label managers, promoters and music distributors and ArtistMonitor^TM, specifically designed for independent artists and those who manage them. Together, MusicMonitor^TM and ArtistMonitor^TM support every phase of the artist and music development cycle with information products for each component of artist success across non-commercial, commercial and crossover radio.

Developed specifically for the broadcast industry, Station-Monitor^TM will provide radio program directors and station operators a tool to better understand competitor, tastemaker, and format-wide airplay trends in order to improve their own programming.

SongMonitor^TM is specifically designed for individual songwriters, composers and music publishers to track the performance of music compositions. This product is a significant contributor to ASCAP's enhanced broadcast monitoring and distribution system for its nearly 200,000 music creators to be launched in early 2005.

Finally, the Mediaguide Monitor^TM platform features weekly airplay charts covering top songs and albums across college, non-commercial and commercial radio. Rankings are based on the widest panels available in the industry to give the most accurate picture of each format's most popular artists and recordings. Through partnerships, Mediaguide will also make these charts available to the broader media and entertainment industries and general public.

“More than ever, industry professionals want a complete picture of who's receiving airplay, what's powering tastes, emerging artists and the competitive landscape,” says George Searle, CEO of Mediaguide. “By creating and offering these custom products, Mediaguide is providing these professionals with the timely and actionable information they need, delivered in the way they want it.”

Mediaguide provides the world's most comprehensive, accurate, timely, and reliable airplay data products. The company's information products, which span all media types, provide performers, publishers and the recording, advertising, radio, and television industries deep insight into what is being broadcast across America, in order to deliver better products that create broader consumer demand among audiences. Mediaguide, based in Berwyn, Pa., is a joint venture of ASCAP and ConneXus Corporation. Learn more about Mediaguide at www.mediaguide.com.

ASCAP Announces Changes to ASCAPLUS Awards Program

Enhancements are made to unique program to better accommodate writer members

Every year since 1960, the Society's unique ASCAPLUS Awards Program has provided cash and recognition to many active writers in the early and mid stages of their careers, as well as to established writers whose main activity is outside of broadcast media. For the 2004-2005 distribution period, ASCAP distributed approximately $2.45 million in ASCAPLUS awards.

For the 2005-2006 distribution year, several changes to the Awards Program will be implemented to coincide with a completely updated ASCAP database system. These changes are as follows:

• Instead of having two Awards Panels, Standard and Popular, there will now be three Divisions: Concert, Jazz and Popular. Members may apply to only one division. (If you have activity in more than one area, you should choose the Division that represents most of your activity. That Division will review ALL of your activity.)
• Eligibility for ALL awards consideration will be extended to writer members whose annual domestic royalty income is less than $25,000.
• The submission deadline for 2005 will be changed from April 1 to June 1. All Divisions of the Panel will meet in late summer/early fall 2005.
• All awards made for 2005-2006 will be paid in full in the January 2006 domestic distribution to writers. Awards will no longer be divided into quarterly installments.

These changes are being made to better accommodate our writer members and to make amounts awarded more immediately useful to recipients.

The new ASCAPLUS Awards information brochure, including updated guidelines and new application form, is included in this issue of Playback. Updated information and interactive application forms are also available on ASCAP's website, www.ascap.com.

Curtain Rises on Musical Theatre Section of ASCAP Website

New section of Society's website is devoted to the specific needs of musical theatre writers

ASCAP is pleased to announce the launch of a new addition to its website exclusively devoted to the musical theatre genre. The new musical theatre section includes announcements of upcoming workshops, theatre premieres, honors, awards, and other news relevant to the musical theatre world.

"The ASCAP website has grown to become one of the world's most visited professional music websites," said Michael Kerker, ASCAP Director of Musical Theatre. "This part of our website speaks to the specific needs and interests of our musical theatre composers and songwriters and to those aspiring to become them." The new section can be visited at http://www.ascap.com/musictheatre/.

ASCAP has always been home to some of the greatest names in musical theatre. Among the ASCAP giants of the past are Irving Berlin, Oscar Hammerstein, Jerome Kern, Burton Lane, Frank Loesser, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, and Jule Styne. Among the society's contemporary musical theatre writers are Lynn Ahrens, the late Cy Coleman, Betty Comden, Stephen Flaherty, Marvin Hamlisch, Carol Hall, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Sondheim, Charles Strouse, David Zippel, and many more.