Score One For The Good Guys

I just read an article about how the European Union (EU) has actually done something good for the music industry, something the U.S. couldn't see fit to do because corporate greed and corruption rules our government. The EU denied a merger between Universal and BMG, two of the largest corporate giants in the music business. Here's a link to the actual article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061208/ap_on_bi_ge/universal_bmg_antitrust.

Here's the gist: "Regulators said their probe will focus on whether Universal's leading position and a shrinking number of players in the market would have 'a negative impact' on fees for publishing rights or conditions for European song writers.

Five companies Ñ Universal, BMG, EMI, Warner and Sony Ñ control most of recorded music and music publishing in Europe, they said.

The Commission is under pressure to look closely at the record industry after the EU's second-highest court overturned regulatory approval of the Sony-BMG deal, saying EU officials had not done enough to show there was no monopoly in the recording industry before the deal or that there would not be one afterward."

Basically, the more these corporate giants merge with each other, the harder it is for fair competition in the market. In a nutshell, if you wonder why all the great "unsigned" artists that you love are never played on the radio, and why it's hard to find their records, this is the reason. Why did it take a European commission to realize that there is a blatant illegal monopoly in the music industry? If there is one good thing about the Democrat takeover in Congress, it's that there's a much better chance for them to put a stop to corporate monopolies than their Republican counterparts. The Republican doctrine is for limitless big business, believing that these multi-billion dollar corporations stimulate the world economy. That's obviously a debatable point, but regardless where you fall in that argument, it's an undeniable fact that this philosophy completely marginalizes the "middle class" of any industry.

Right now, it's a proven fact that the music business is a totalitarian dictatorship. As indicated above, the industry is controlled by a small handful of companies at the top, who allow only a select few artists of their choosing to achieve success. Along with the record companies listed above, super-corporation Clear Channel also controls about 90% of ALL radio stations in the U.S., and doesn't allow the stations themselves any control whatsoever over their playlists or activities. There are a select few people "at the top" -- literally about 100 people, including artists and corporations -- who achieve any financial success at all. And the rest are left to fend for themselves, and are not allowed a glimmer of access to any financial achievement.

The music industry's governing style can be directly compared to North Korea, the former Iraq, or the former Soviet Union. The self-appointed leaders get unbelievably rich, make their own rules, and have no limits on their power. They allow those of their choosing to "enter the fold", and protect them with no mercy and no consideration for what is right or wrong. The rest of their citizenship is left in poverty and desolation, with little or no hope or chance of changing their status. There is no middle class. In a totalitarian dictatorship, there is only filthy-rich or dirt poor. The music industry is no different.

Thank God that somebody, in this case the EU, not our beloved capitalist U.S. of A., has shown some sense and courage and is attempting to change this system that robs both artists and music consumers everywhere of what they deserve.

Roger