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PRS for Music Warns of Hard Times Ahead as Revenues Drop 20%
The collecting society, which represents more than 10 million musical works and has 155,000 members, says that a projected rise in online royalty income won’t be enough to offset the loss of public performance distributions, which PRS expects to fall by at least 10% in 2021. Much of the £699 million PRS distributed in 2020 — an increase of 2% over 2019 — came from royalties collected pre-pandemic, meaning the dramatic fall in income will be felt hardest by its members in 2021 and beyond, PRS for Music CEO Andrea Czapary Martin tells Billboard. “It has been a tough time and it will be a tough time again this year,” says Martin. “Our revenues will go up this year, but not back to the levels of 2019.” Globally, performance rights revenues fell by 10.1% to $2.3 billion in 2020 as a...
Spotify Begins Raising Prices With Family Plans in US, UK
Meanwhile, in the U.K., Student, Duo and Family Plan subscriptions will also see a price hike, up one pound apiece for Student and Duo plans to £5.99/month and £13.99/month, respectively, with Family Plan subscriptions rising £2 to £16.99/month. The raises were first reported by The Verge, which also reported that some other countries in Europe will see Student and Duo plans rise by one euro/month and Family Plans by three euros/month, with increases in Asia and South America as well. “With more than 70 million tracks and 2.2 million podcasts, Spotify continues to innovate and invest in providing our listeners with greater value than ever before, including the best audio content and user experience,” a spokesperson told Billboard in a statement. “We offer a variety of subs...
NAFDAC alerts Nigerians on effects of hair products containing formaldehyde
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against the use of hair smoothing products containing formaldehyde. The agency says the U.S Food and Drug Administration has informed it of the short and long-term effects of formaldehyde exposure in hair smoothing products. The alert, No: 006/2021 – Formaldehyde in Hair Smoothing Products, was signed by the Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday. It said most hair smoothing or straightening products release formaldehyde gas, a known human carcinogen, as classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, into the air during hair straightening or smoothing. According to the alert, when formaldehyde is re...
British premier denies saying ‘let the bodies pile high’
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday denied a newspaper report that he had said he would rather bodies piled “high in their thousands” than order a third COVID-19 lockdown. Johnson is facing a stream of allegations in newspapers – all of them denied – about everything from his muddled initial handling of the COVID-19 crisis to questions over who financed the redecoration of his official apartment. The Daily Mail newspaper cited unidentified sources as saying that, in October, shortly after agreeing to a second lockdown, Johnson told a meeting in Downing Street: “No more fucking lockdowns – let the bodies pile high in their thousands.” Asked whether he had made the remark, Johnson told broadcasters: “No, but again, I think the important thing, I think, that people want us to get o...
Forces opposed to Somali president control parts of Mogadishu
Gunmen opposed to Somalia’s Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed had control of strategic parts of the capital Mogadishu on Monday, Reuters journalists saw, after factions in the security forces clashed at the weekend over his term extension. Mohamed signed a law earlier this month extending his mandate for two years after elections were cancelled, setting off a political furore that threatens to distract Somalia’s armed forces from fighting al Qaeda-linked insurgents. The presidential term extension has also irked foreign donors, who have backed his fragile government in the hope of bringing long-needed stability to the Horn of Africa nation largely in turmoil since a 1991 civil war. After exchanges of gunfire rocked Mogadishu on Sunday and some forces came from outside the capital, anti-Mohamed fac...
PDP: NBC fine against Channels TV draconian
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as draconian, the reported suspension and fine of N5 million slammed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Channels Television over alleged violation of broadcasting code. The party said without prejudice to the issues raised against Channels Television, the reported hasty clampdown, without the benefit of caution, was suggestive of intolerance and high-handedness by the regulatory body. “Our party is worried that such disposition could be counter-productive and heighten the already tensed situation in our nation at this critical time. “The PDP, therefore, urges the NBC to review the punitive measure on the media house as well as a scale-up system-friendly measure that will ensure best practices in information dissemina...
Biden isn’t banning meat, USDA chief says
“Joe Biden’s climate plan includes cutting 90% of red meat from our diets by 2030,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) tweeted on Saturday. “They want to limit us to about four pounds a year. Why doesn’t Joe stay out of my kitchen?” The falsehood stems from an April 2020 academic study that laid out how dietary changes could lead to fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Conservative outlets including Fox News and the Daily Mail portrayed the academic findings as if they were Biden’s policy. The misleading reports then spread rapidly on social media and were amplified by Republican politicians such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Donald Trump Jr. In reality, Biden last week set a broad goal of cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030. But he did not detail any specific target...
UK Primed to Resume Live Shows While Rest of Europe Struggles
While the United Kingdom appears poised to resume full-capacity outdoor shows this summer, many other European markets will be forced to wait until at least the fall. Greek doesn’t expect indoor shows to resume in continental Europe before the end of the year, but he does expect them in the United Kingdom by September. And with most U.S. artists choosing not to tour Europe due to a paucity of tour dates and the possibility of new virus restrictions, local U.K. and European acts will take center stage as headliners. Dieter Semmelman, CEO of Berlin-based Semmel Concerts, sees “no chance” of a return to live music events in Germany this summer and, instead, is focused on saving about 300 concerts scheduled for October through December. “It’s not a good feeling” that other markets are ahead of...
Zimbabwe street vendors reel under virus curbs
For years, Zimbabwean single mother Spiwe Tembo would sell buns on the streets of central Harare, earning enough to feed her three children. But her fortunes have dived. Since authorities banned street hawkers a year ago as part of a raft of measures to limit the spread of Covid-19, she plays cat-and-mouse with the police who comb the streets to rid them of vendors. “Things are tough,” the 34-year-old said, waving a packet of large buns to potential customers on a busy street in a part of Harare that locals call “Third World” because it is always teeming. She said: “We get arrested by municipal and national police. Almost daily I pay bribes to police officers to avoid getting arrested.” On the days she doesn’t have any cash, the inevitable happens and she is arrested and her wares seized. ...
Delta governor: We inherited N100 billion unpaid pension under compulsory pension scheme
Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Sunday said his administration inherited about N100 billion unpaid pensions under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). Okowa disclosed this at the third session of the 8th Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Ughelli Diocese. The session was held at Bishop Agori-Iwe Memorial Church, Ughelli. Okowa said that the financial burden forced 18 state governments out of 26 that enlisted on the scheme to withdraw, leaving only eight state governments, including Delta, in the Programme. The governor explained that the major challenge which forced the states to withdraw and others not to enrol in the scheme, was the huge backlog running into billions of naira. He said that his administration was up-to-date with payment of pensioners in the old scheme. ...
Ex-NOC official: National Sports Festival remains good investment in youths
Elias Gora, a former Secretary-General of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), says the biennial National Sports Festival (NSF) remains a good investment in ensuring Nigerian youths are positively engaged. Gora told newsmen in Lagos on Monday that the Festival could however be improved upon to discover more talents for Nigeria. He emphasised on the need to also use the Festival to continue to promote peace and unity in the country. “It is an investment, and it has kept the youths busy. Other youths who watched would have been motivated. “So, with the height of insecurity in the country, such distraction is needed. “I was part of the officials and one thing I understand is the fact that these youths will rather focus on what they enjoy doing. They can’t be bothered about anything. “If we can in...
Ekiti election: Lere Olayinka names Bisi Kolawole campaign spokesperson
File Photo Otunba Bisi Kolawole, one of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants in Ekiti State, has appointed Lere Olayinka as Spokesperson and Director of Media and Publicity of his campaign organization. Kolawole, who is the current PDP Chairman in the state was endorsed by former Governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose, as his preferred candidate for next year’s guber race. Olayinka, a seasoned journalist, political communicator, public affairs analyst and one-time Southwest PDP and former Governor of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose’s spokesperson is from Okemesi Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area of the state. Kolawole, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Bola Agboola, said Olayinka will coordinate media and publicity activities of the governors...
