NOVEMBER 1, 1997 Music VOLUME 14, ISSUE 44 £3.95 DM11 FFR35 'Sunchyme' sees Dario G US$7 sparkle on Greatest Gain- Media® Da11.50 ers airplay chart (page 20). r 'Dictatorial attitude' sees Italian labels found guilty Max Music boycott Los 40of operating as cartel by Howell Llewellyn Dega says that his label's product by Mark Dezzani decision on behalf of the consistentlyfailstoappear on Los five labels, who are all MADRID - In an unprecedented row, 40Principalesweeklyplaylist,"even MILAN - The Italian affili- FIMI members. FIMI Spain's most popular though we were the sec- ates of five major record president Gerolamo music network isbeing C ond highest label adver- companies - BMG, EMI, Caccia-who is also boycottted by the coun-A tiser on Los 40 last year, PolyGram, Sony and president ofWarner try's only wholly domesti- D having invested Pta 83 WEA -have all been found Music Italy-claims the cally -owned multinational N million [$557,000]." guilty of operating a price- anti-trust authority's record label. A In a letter to SER fixing cartel. verdict was based on cir- Barcelona -based dancePRINCIPALESdirector general The country's anti-trust cumstantial evidence. label Max Music has sev- Augusto Delkader, authority, headed by former The ruling was made eredalllinks with Cadena SER's Dega said that he would not spend "a primeministerGiuliano public on October 22, national CHR network Los 40 Princi- single peseta more" advertising on Los Amato, fined the five majors L7.5 billion almosta yearaftertheanti-trust pales after what the label president40 and that he would suspend all free ($4.29 million) as punishment for anti- authority launched its full investigation Miguel Dega describes as "offensiveperformances at Los 40 concerts by competitive practices. The fine is to be last November. The investigation was and humiliating treatment." continued on page 24 divided equally among the companies. prompted by allegations from Italian Italian music industry federation music retailers' association Vendomusi- Full agenda for Albertini FIMI says it will appeal against the continued on page 24 PARIS - A new face is taking the Sony Music Entertainment France helm at SNEP, but the agenda which chief executive Paul -Rene Albertini was French broadcasters he has to steer the French record unanimously elected president of SNEP labels' organisation through is domi- on October 16 after a specially -convened nated by all -too familiar issues, writes board meeting of the organisation. slam ratings challenge Renzi Bouton. Albertini replaces former Virgin chairman Patrick Zelnik, whose term by Reini Bouton The court's decision was initially M&M chart to. ers this week of office was due to expire next June. seen as a victory for Voltage, but it Zelnik's decision to set up his new PARIS - Paris dance station Voltageseems that most in the radio industry independent company Naive prompt- FM has been criticised by fellow radiowould have preferred an "in-house" Eurochcablot 100 Singles ed SNEP's search for a new president. operators for taking official ratingsdiscussion of the case through Medi- EMION JOHN "There was nobody [on the current organisation Mediametrie to court in a ametrie'sradiocommittee,which Something About The Way You Look ...I SNEP board] who had the same profes- dispute over recent audience figures. includes representatives from radio Candle In The Wi 97 sional availability as Patrick Zelnik- The court has decided to appoint an stations and advertisers. (fiocirt) who spent a lot of time and energy as expert who will now review the ratings "It is neither serious nor construc- president of the organisation," com- methodology used by tivetocriticiseMedi- European Top 100 Al ms mented BMG president Herve Las- Mediametrie, which ametrie, as all the radio THE ROLLING STON seigne. Speaking to has a monopoly on TV stationsarerepresented andradio audience [within the organisation]," Bridges To Babylon Music & Media, he thanked Albertini measurement in says Alain Weill, general (Virgin) for his canditure. France. The expert is to manager of national CHR SNEP general file a report within the network NRJ. "We know European Radio manager Herve next three months in there are some imperfec- THE ROLLING Rony concurs: "It is order to help the court tions, but nothing that we Anybody Seen obviousthat Paul - decide whether there is cannot improve internally." (Virgin) Rene Albertini will a case for the ratings Eric Baptiste, president continued on page 24 body to answer. MEDIAMETRIE continued on page 24 Joe COCKER N' oubliez Jamais from his Euro Top Ten Album "Across From Midnight" EMI EMI ELECTROLA AmericanRadioHistory.Com Paradisio Bailando the hit single that sold 1.000.000 copies N° 1 Belgium during the summer of 96 elected as single of the year 96 top 30 hit in Holland N° 4 in the French sales charts sold over 450.000 copies in France only best selling single in Sweden ever, TRIPLE PLATINIUM N° 1selling single in Denmark N° 1selling single in Finland N° 1selling single in Italy N° 5 in the Mexican playlists September release in South -East Asia UK release to be announced soon Vamosala Discoteca top 10 in Belgium top 20 in France N° 2 selling single in Sweden N° 6 selling single in Norway high rotation all over Europe thenewsingle "Di Me C AmericanRadioHistory.Com the album mo" and the full album will be released in October MARKETED & DISTRIBUTED BY from the well-known production team CLUrif:',4 CNR MUSIC the UNITY MIXERS Divicloy nr ilprAnr wicir rnyrmniv deveboment AmericanRadioHistory.Com mNEWS Dutch dance event finds its feet by Christian Lorenz theU.K.However,despitethe increase in the number of dance sta- AMSTERDAM - The Amsterdam tions and specialist dance shows over Dance Event (ADE) attracted some the past 12 months, it was noticable 900 music industry delegates in this, that radio had shown little interest in its second year, making a firm move the event. towards establishing itself as a small Calle Dernulf, producer and pre- yet effective forum for Europe's dance senter at Swedish public CHR broad- music professionals. caster P3, was one of ADE's few radio Held in the intimate Rode Hoed delegates. "I had the opportunity to conference centre in a converted interview a number of interesting Amsterdam church between October people for my shows, such as Dutch 15-18 this year, the ADE is organised [techno] producer Orlando Voorn," by Dutch music foundation Conamus. explains Dernulf. "I also bought loads This year's ADE aimed to improve its of records for the station, because it's networking facilities during the four The future of independent labels was one topic discussed at ADE, in adifficult to get new Dutch dance daysof panels,tradefairand panel entitled Independent Labels: Survive & Conquer. Panellists includ-releases in Stockholm." club evenings. ed (1-r): dance producer Rollo Armstrong; Rob Wunderman, label manager With a number of high -calibre A large number of U.S. profession- of New York -based indie label King Street Sound and Alex Griffiths, newspanels, most attendants gave the als took up the opportunity to net- editor of the U.K.'s DJ magazine. "thumbs -up" to ADE this year. Only work with their European counter- the small trade fair at the event came parts this year. Detroit techno artistTone Loc were among the prominent Amsterdam's clubs. in for some criticism. "I heard labels Carl Craig, Atlantic Records A&Rvisitors from the other side of the The majority of European dele- complaining that there were no sepa- director Jim Welch, Chicago houseAtlantic checking out the European gates at ADE this year came from the rate listening rooms to play their legend Jesse Saunders and rapperscene both at the conference and atNetherlands, Germany, France andtracks," says Dernulf. MCM replaces MN in Czech Republic PRAGUE - MTV has lost its main He adds: "This combination of two window in the Czech Republic and music channels offers a full range of Slovakia to French music channelhigh quality music and cultural pro- MCM, writes Remi Bouton. gramming to a broad audience of Czech Kabel Plus, the main cable operator and Slovak viewers, which is very in the two republics-reaching some important here, where classical music 440,000 subscribers-has replacedreally is part of popular culture." MTV Europe with pop. music channel A spokeswoman from MTV Europe MCM International (a spin-off from confirms that, as of November 1, MTV the French music TV station MCM will no longer be carried by Kabel Plus. Euromusique) and its sister classical/ Comments a spokeswoman: "We could- jazz/world music channel Muzzik n't reach an agreement with Kabel Sony Music Entertainment (U.K.) invited several U.K. radio presenters Kabel Plus general manager DavidPlus and we regret the situation, and 15 competition -winning local radio listeners to meet Billy Joel in a Dea says the combination of MCM and because we have a strong relationship Q&A session held in London on October 16. The forum was one of aMuzzik "represents a major improve-with our viewers there. But we will series set up by Sony, aimed at promoting a greater understanding ofment in the quality and value of ourstill be available to 250,000 house- the workings of the music business with different sectors of the media. service to our customers." holds in the two countries [through Pictured (1-r): Mark Kaye and Sam Kenny (Key 103/Manchester); Peter "The choice between MTV and MCM other cable operators]." Tate (Magic 828/Leeds); Maureen Kealy (SME U.K. marketing director); has not been easy, because the former MCM International says it is com- Mike Sweeney (Piccadilly 1152/Manchester); John Aston (VP sales, SME has a very strong brand," says Dea.mitted to supporting the local music U.K.); Claire Newsham (regional promotions manager, SME U.K.); Joel; "But MCM is a European music service, scene in the two republics.