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March 2005 NEWSLETTER A n E n t e r t a i n m e n t I n d u s t r y O r g a n i z a t i o n SESAC in the 21st Century 50th Anniversary SESAC, the nation’s second performed internationally. oldest and fastest growing per- The President’s forming rights organization, is Service Corner celebrating its 75th year of SESAC has always stressed operation in 2005. A service quality over quantity. Unlike Micha el R. M orris organization created to assist other performing rights both the creators of music and organizations, SESAC utilizes a As this d igital m illennium of music music users through timely, ef- selective process when affiliating unfolds, performance rights royalties ficient royalty collection and songwriters and publishers. This have become an increasingly signifi- music licensing, SESAC is the screening policy has not only cant source of writer and publisher in- place where time-honored tradi- allowed the company to build a come. Durin g pre vious p anels, our tion and cutting edge technology repertory of extraordinary quality, guests from ASCAP and BMI high- come together at to simplify and it also assures that SESAC lighted how the many new avenues of streamline the business of per- affiliates receive an unmatched digital delivery of music to consumers forming rights. level of personal service and has translated into welcome royalty attention. In addition to offering streams for both established cata- Tradition the most comprehensive and ac- logues and new artists. Tonight, the SESAC was established by curate monitoring system avail- CCC is pleased to continue its perfor- Paul Heinecke in 1930 to serve able, SESAC prides itself on its mance rights society series with European artists not adequately dedication to providing the fastest "SESAC in the 21st Century." This pa- represented in the U.S. Over the payments and best service pos- nel will be moderated by past CCC decades, SESAC has grown ex- sible. president Steven Winogradsky and ponentially to encompass a di- SESAC’s signing of legendary features SESAC President and Chief versified repertory that includes singer/songwriters Bob Dylan and Operating Officer Patrick "Pat" Collins the best of Adult Contemporary, Neil Diamond in 1995 was a sign along with SESAC executives James of things to come. Since that Leach (Director, Writer/Publisher Re- Urban, Jazz, Rock, Americana, time, the company has been stra- lations and a CCC board mem ber), Contemporary Christian, Latin, Den nis Lord (Sr. Vice Pres ident, Busi- Country, Gospel, Dance, tegically building and broadening ness Affairs) and Pat Rogers (Sr. Vice Classical, and New Age. SESAC its repertory and affiliating wri- President, Corporate Relations/Artist is also rapidly becoming the ter/artists like R&B innovators Development). SESAC is celebrating performing rights organization of Swizz Beatz, Teddy Riley and its 75th anniversary, and our panelists choice among many of Bryan-Michael Cox, A/C piano will focus on what makes this per- Hollywood’s most sought-after stylist Jim Brickman, country formance rights organization unique. film and television composers. stars Joe Nichols and Blaine The CCC thanks SESAC for supporting SESAC has reciprocal Larsen, Gospel legend Shirley this evening's panel, and we look agreements with more than 50 Caesar, Paul Shaffer, the long- forward to a thought-provoking foreign performing rights time musical director for The Late evening. societies to help secure royalties Show with David Letterman, and for its affiliates whose works are (Continued on page 3) Who Is Nic Harcourt? Ed Arrow By the mid ‘90’s I just oriented NPR station, KCRW. It Who is Nic Harcourt? Nic couldn’t listen to LA commercial was one morning while driving Harcourt is a man with a mis- radio anymore. to work a bit later than usual sion. As KCRW Music Director I grew up in the New York that I finally heard the music he reviews over 400 CD’s per suburbs. As a teenager in the program, Morning Becomes Ec- week to select the few he 1970’s I received an education lectic. I don’t remember what deems worthy of placing in the in music, listening to legendary was played that day. What I do KCRW music library. As host of WNEW-FM radio. WNEW-FM remember was that it was dif- MBE he flies by the seat of his was a so-called progressive ra- ferent than what other radio pants, selecting songs as the dio station which meant they stations were playing. It was show progresses. In addition, had an open format. The hosts music I hadn’t heard before. MBE features interviews and in played what they wanted to Electronica was followed by folk studio performances. He enjoys play. In doing so they played an which was followed by rap the influence he has, noting incredible variety of music - which was followed by some- that A&R executives and the mostly rock and folk with an oc- thing I could not begin to de- people who select music for casional splash of classical or fine. But it was all good music. films and TV shows are among jazz. I never missed hearing And no commercials! The host his listeners. anything worth hearing. If it described each record that was Nic Harcourt is a man criti- was good, they played it. They played and provided informa- cal of the status quo and critical didn’t just play the singles and tion about each artist. I contin- of the music business. He notes album cuts the record compan- ued to tune in when I could. that the music business is no ies wanted them to play. They One day I heard Norah Jones. I different than other American played what they wanted to liked what I heard. I bought the businesses. He equates record play. They talked about the mu- CD that afternoon. promotion with the pharmaceu- sic. They talked about the pe- Morning Becomes Eclectic tical industry, noting that re- ople who made the music. They is hosted by Nic Harcourt, cord companies provide incen- talked about what the music KCRW’s music director. I won- tives for radio stations to play meant. It was never boring. dered, who is Nic Harcourt? He their records by providing non- This was how I discovered good is originally from Birmingham, cash-based econom ic benefits music. WNEW-FM was my mu- England. (So I suppose the ac- to the stations. Pharmaceutical sic mentor. If I liked what they cent is real.) For eight years he companies do the same thing to played, I bought it. And I worked at a comm ercial radio promote sales of their drugs by bought lots of records. station, WDST FM in Wood- sending doctors on junkets and By the early ’80’s it was stock, NY where he was news providing them with free sam- pretty much over. WNEW-FM director and later music direc- ples of their products. He notes had been transformed into a tor. He joined KCRW as pro- that the major labels are able to virtual jukebox as it became a gram director in 1998. Nic gives control radio and virtually shut “classic rock” station, subser- airplay to artists, new and old, out the indies. “It matters,” he vient to finite playlists. that would otherwise never be says “because in a society After moving to Los Ange- heard on the airwaves. In 2000 where artists are squeezed out les in 1988, I found a couple of KCRW began producing a na- of being heard or seen, whether stations that played a reason- tional version of MBE called it’s in music or any other art able variety of music. By the Sounds Eclectic. Nic has been form, then you’re really not late ‘90’s they were gone and credited with breaking artists getting a challenge to the sta- once again I was at the mercy such as Moby, Garbage, Semi- tus quo. So, if music is being of the dreaded playlists. I tuned sonic, Coldplay, Dido, Norah made by an independent artist, into jazz and classical radio sta- Jones, Pete Yorn, David Gray, but is not being heard, then tions. Later I tuned out the mu- Sigor Ros, and Starsailor. Not things are not going to change. sic in favor of a news and issue bad. There’s no challenge to the ac- cepted norm. And that’s really SESAC (continued from page 1) with offices in New York, Los what the artist are for, and Angeles, and London, SESAC that’s the role that they play jazz stylist Cassandra Wilson. today stands proudly by its throughout history.” Television composer Jona- original mission statement: “To Nic Harcourt is a man who than Wolff, who brings shows be a highly dependable, inno- believes that the music industry like Will & Grace, Less than vative, profitable leader and has not been destroyed by the Perfect, Reba, and the hugely market-driven performing Internet. Rather, he believes successful Seinfeld to SESAC, is rights organization sensitive to that the business has destroyed just one example of the A-list the concerns and interests of its itself by its inability to change Hollywood composers now at affiliates, users, employees, and embrace technology. He SESAC. Other top television and shareholders.” says, “You can probably go shows and composers currently To find out more, visit back and look in records from represented by SESAC include www.sesac.com. the ‘20’s, you know, when they Still Standing and Two and a shifted from sheet music to re- Half Men (Dennis Brown), cords.

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