U.K. TV AWARDS SHOW BOOSTS SALES (Continued from page 5) that objective. Saturday night." of 150,669 for Keating. Spears' newsline... Produced by London Weekend "This has got to be the ". . . biggest Baby One More Time" was a Television for ITV in conjunction boost to music sales in the two distant third, with 73,841; the A FEDERAL ANTITRUST investigation into possible CD price -fixing by sev- with entrepreneur Jonathan weeks immediately before Christ- Westlife and Keating singles eral music major companies has apparently slowed government approval King's Tip Sheet publication, and mas," says a typically ebullient between them earned almost 40% of the merger of online retailer CDnow Inc. and mail -order music and sponsored for the second time by King of his creation. He claims that of the vote. video marketer Columbia House. Now that snag reportedly may bring direct -mail club Britannia Music, RCA is "saying that by new year it The show was broadcast live by the two labels major behind the deal -Sony and Time Warner's Warner "Record Of The Year" reached a will have put on 300,000 extra leading London top 40 outlet 95.8 Music Group the -to bargaining table to settle the matter. peak audience of 8.8 million view- album sales, as a direct result of Capital FM. "The second year on, The investigation has appar- ers and elicited almost 800,000 it's proving to be very popular with ently slowed the federal OK of telephone votes. Now King says he the public," said Capital group head the deal to combine the Fort is in advanced discussions with `We reached a sixth of programmes Clive Dickens Dec. Washington, Pa. -based online NBC to produce an American ver- 14. "It undoubtedly sells records retailer and the mail -order mar- of the population of - sion of the show for U.S. televi- you only have to look at the mid - keter of music and videos. sion. Great Britain, all weeks today to see that." The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) confirmed Dec. 16 it was "investi- (Westlife is slated to make its The programmer notes that gating potential anti -competitive conduct involving the sale of CDs" but U.S. debut on Arista in late March. of them inspired to "Record Of The Year" is a good fit declined to elaborate. The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 16 that the FTC, Tentative plans call for the single for the station's demographic. as part of its review of the CDnow deal, is pressing Sony and Warner Music "Swear It Again" -the band's first go out and buy a "Obviously it's relatively free from Group-the joint owners of Columbia House-to stop participating in an British chart -topper, last spring industry interference, and the songs industry practice - of imposing a "minimum advertised price," or MAP on CDs. to go to radio in late January, with a CD' that end up in the final list are much Retailers that sell below that price forfeit cooperative ad subsidies from the commercial release a month later. closer [than in other awards] to music companies. - JONATHAN KING - The album will contain "one or two what radio knows are the best songs The Journal reports that Warner and Sony have engaged in settlement new tracks," compared with the of the year. That's why we were so talks with the FTC but that no agreements have been reached. Howev- U.K. version, says RCA internation- involved in the event, because we er, a source familiar with the situation denied knowledge of such talks al marketing and promotions man- the show." knew the short-list represented our and considered the investigation ongoing. ager Guy Higgins.) While the 8.8 million viewing recurrents. That list is basically Sony said it does not comment on matters under government review Most pertinently for the record figure was down from the 9.7 mil- Capital as you hear it." or litigation. Warner Music officials also declined comment. industry, retailers were reporting a lion peak figure for the inaugural Dickens believes that compar- In a separate investigation, disclosed earlier in the week, the Justice healthy upswing in sales for West - 1998 show, on which Boyzone's "No isons with the U.K.'s other regular Department is looking into alleged antitrust violations by MTV Networks life's self-titled debut album, which, Matter What" won the title, this mainstream awards event, the (see story, page 10). according to RCA, has now passed year's program aired an hour later, Brits, are irrelevant. "They can't Kathy Styponias, an analyst with Prudential Securities, noted that the double- platinum mark, with in two parts in Saturday -night really be compared; they happily while such antitrust concerns are legitimate, they are nothing new. The shipments of 670,000 and over -the- prime time, and was up against coexist in the marketplace," he says. common thread in both of the most recent developments is the transfer counter sales of 420,000. It showed BBC1's perennially high -rated Gennaro Castaldo, head of press of existing dominant franchises to the online world. "I think [the FTC is] a 92% increase in sales immediately "Casualty." "That normally gets 12 and public relations for the HMV to trying get a better understanding of how certain trends are develop- after the show, according to the million [viewers], and we cut them retail chain, adds, "There's a whole ing with respect to the music industry and the Internet," she tells Bill- label. down to 10 million," says King of sweep of [music TV] programs now board. `A lot of times, a way in which you can do that is opening up an The win also gave a perfectly the hourlong first part of the show, catering to different audiences, and investigation. [Regulators] want to ensure that incumbent players aren't timed boost to Westlife's bid for the which featured live or prerecord- at the end of the day, as long as it looking to use their power in the bricks-and -mortar world and translate highly prized Christmas No. 1 slot ed performances by all 10 short - gets people excited about music, it's it on to the Internet in anti -competitive ways." with the act's follow -up single, the listed artists. got to be a good thing." CDnow announced on Nov 24 that the FTC had asked for more infor- double -sided "I Have A Dream"! Britannia Music marketing direc- Castaldo is cautious about the mation regarding the Columbia House merger. The request extends the "Seasons In The Sun," released tor Mark Williamson pronounced specific effect of the show on album FTC's initial review period until 20 days after Time Warner and Sony Dec. 13 and at press time leading the company "dead pleased" with its sales. "Because it's on in the Christ- comply with the request. The FTC can terminate the waiting period at the "mid- week" chart positions involvement in "Record Of The mas period, when [sales] are going any time if it completes its review sooner. CDnow said Dec. 16 it still plans leading up to the Dec. 19 publication Year." "It moved on and built on last off the scale anyway, you won't real- to close the deal in the first quarter of 2000. "Sony and Time Warner com- of the official holiday chart. year's success," he says. "We en- ly be able to judge the scale of the mitted to this transaction and are trying to work through these issues "Flying Without Wings" be- joyed 10 great years [sponsoring] effect. But it's certainly of benefit with the FTC," said a CDnow spokeswoman. She added that additional came Westlife's third straight U.K. the Brits [awards show], and as we from the TV promo point of view, requests for information were not unusual. No. 1 in October. It was written by were in on the beginning of them like the Lottery show or anything The current federal investigation into label practices began in 1997 but Steve Mac and Wayne Hector and with Jonathan King, we're delight- else, especially with Christmas picked up steam in September with the agency's request that senior published by Rokstone /Ron- ed to work with him on a new thing around the corner." record -company distribution executives testify on their policies (Billboard, dor Music. Says the group's Kian like this and hope it grows the same Dickens believes that to Sept. 18). BRIAN GARRITY Egan, "After a tremendous year way they did." progress, the show must persuade scoring three No. l's, winning the King devised "Record Of The more U.S. acts to perform live; A FLURRY OF DEALS between big brick -and -mortar retailers and leading `Record Of The Year' was the icing Year" in 1998 as a vehicle for his among the American nominees, online companies in the last few days suggests a new awareness on each on the cake." Tip Sheet publication's industry only Jennifer Lopez was present, side of the value of the other in growing their businesses. "The portals Gary Lettice, product manager Triumph Awards, which he also to sing "If You Had My Love," need the brick -and -mortar presence, and the retailers need to appear for rock and pop at the Virgin retail announced to the live audience at which came last in the voting. "The Internet -savvy," says David Cooperstein, an analyst with Forrester chain, says he has seen an "uptake" the show, in between the perfor- two things they've got to learn Research, of the pacts. Microsoft said Dec. 16 that it is investing $200 in sales of the "Westlife" album mance hour and the 25- minute from are trying to encourage a million in Best Buy as part of an agreement to market its online service since the show. He confirms that "Record Of The Year" results seg- wider forum of people to vote, to and products through the chain. Microsoft will sell figures had the group's new single ment. avoid the teenage fan base, and its products in Best Buy's stores, while Best Buy on course for No. 1, while sales of "I made up my own rules -it's getting [more] artists to perform will be a featured vendor on Microsoft's online net- "Flying Without Wings" were set my event," he says of the "Record" on the night. They should move it work. Best Buy will also receive Microsoft's help in to be double those of the week show. "I'm already in very heavy a week earlier, put it into the diary launching its revamped E- commerce site early next before. discussions with NBC about doing now, because it was very obvious year, the retailer said. In a similar arrangement, Circuit City said Dec. At Tower's Glasgow store, assis- an American `Record Of The Year' which performances were on 15 that it will promote the services and products of America Online (AOL) tant manager Steve McDowell also in the same format." tape." in its stores, and it will be featured in AOL's shopping site. reported an improvement in the The initial list of contenders for King, who is bullish about ITV's Meanwhile, Wal-Mart and AOL said Dec. 16 that they will work togeth- Island soundtrack of "Notting Hill" the award is drawn from the 50 commitment to a third show in late er to create a co- branded "convenient, low- cost" Web service for con- and its sell -through video, featuring best -selling singles of the year in 2000, accepts the last point. "I'm sumers who lack access and will cross -promote each other's services. Ronan Keating's Polydor single the U.K.; artists with more than one thinking of making it a rule that Wal-Mart customers will get software to set up an online account through "When You Say Nothing At All," entry in that list are restricted to artists have to perform on the AOL's CompuServe; fees have not yet been decided. Kmart is going one which placed second in "Record Of one song, and a top 20 was put to the night," he says. "If Shania and Brit - step better: It said Dec. 15 that it has formed a new online venture, Blue - The Year" (Keating is also co-man- vote of the ITV viewing public the ney had been there with spectacu- Light.com, that will offer consumers free Internet access. Softbank Ven- ager of Westlife). previous weekend. lar performances, they could have ture Capital, a unit of Japan's Softbank Corp., has committed $62.5 mil- With holiday sales already buoy- That produced a short -list of 10 won. lion to establish BlueLight.com, the company said, and Kmart will be the ant, retailers were reluctant in some contenders, consisting of Westlife, "But," he concludes, "we reached majority owner, with about a 60% stake. The San Francisco -based Blue - cases to apportion all the credit to Ronan Keating, S Club 7, and Mar- a sixth of the population of Great Light.com also received investments from Martha Stewart Living and "Record Of The Year," but Mike tine McCutcheon from the U.K. Britain, all of them inspired to go Yahoo!, which will provide content for the site. Dalby, senior assistant at indepen- and Ireland; Eiffel 65 from Italy; out and buy a CD. We've been call- In March, HMV in the U.K. began offering customers free Internet dent retailer Adrians in Wickford, German-signed Lou Bega; and U.S. ing shops and getting retail reac- access through a partnership with Yahoo! U.K. & Ireland, following other Essex, says, "As much music as we acts Britney Spears, Shania Twain, tion, and it's almost as though the U.K. merchants, such as electronics retailer Dixon's and the supermar- can get on television is good for the Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin. door had been unchained on the new ket chain Tesco. MARILYN A. GILLEN industry, because a lot of shows have In total, 790,739 votes were cast. year sales." been axed. Even better [if it's] on a Westlife won with 159,590, ahead

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