Chiariglione To Head SDMI Digital Distribution Efforts

Approximately 200 leading technology executives and representatives of the RIAA, RIAJ, and the IFPI gathered at the first official meeting of the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) organization Friday in L.A. The closed-door session began with the announcement that Dr. Leonardo Chiariglione will head SDMI's efforts as executive director. Chiariglione, who was a leader in the development of the MPEG digital audio standard, was head of the Television Technologies Research Division at SCELT, the corporate research division of Telecom Italia.

SDMI also announced that its first priority is to quickly establish a standard protocol for digital music distribution on portable hardware devices. "We are trying to salvage a legitimate marketplace before MP3 piracy takes over," Cary Sherman, senior executive VP/general counsel for the RIAA, told Bulletin.

Sources say that some companies are planning to move forward with their own proprietary digital download solutions, despite SDMI's recommendations. An executive representing one key participant speculates that SDMI may ultimately serve as an organization that issues an official seal of approval to digital distribution technologies that adequately protect copyrighted content.

--Brett Atwood, L.A.


K-tel In German Web Retail

Entertainment marketer and distributor K-tel International Inc. has launched a retail music Web site for Germany that will also provide service to Austria, Switzerland, and German-speaking Poland. The site, at www.k-tel.de, currently offers about 5,000 K-tel albums; the company plans to forge deals to offer a full line of product. K-tel, which has its own fulfillment operation in Germany, is also in talks with suppliers to add books, videos, and fitness equipment to the site. The site has been combined with K-tel's German direct-marketing setup, Dominion Vertriebs, to form a new company, K-tel Shopping GmbH.

K-tel stock closed Friday down 21.29% to $9.94.


Vonda Shepard Label Inks Navarre Deal

Vonda Shepard manager Gail Gellman has started a Los Angeles-based label, Jacket Records, and inked a distribution deal with Navarre Corp. The first release is a new album by Shepard, "By 7:30," due April 20. A duet with Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, "Baby Don't You Break My Heart Slow," will be released commercially in early April as the first single.

Shepard's previous albums were on Gellman's Navarre-distributed Vesper Alley label, aside from a one-off deal with 550 Music/Sony Music Soundtrax last year for "Songs From Ally McBeal." Talks are under way with Sony for a second "Ally McBeal" soundtrack, according to a source.

--Carolyn Horwitz, N.Y.


V2, Push Records Form Joint Venture

Richard Branson's V2 Records and Push Records, an independent label owned by public company Paradise Music & Entertainment, have formed a joint venture, Push/V2 Records. Push will provide the label's talent, and V2 will handle manufacturing, marketing, and promotion. The venture, which a Paradise spokesman says does not involve an equity stake, will reduce overhead costs for Push.

BMG, V2's distributor, will handle Push/V2 product. The first release will be the third album by Blessid Union Of Souls, "Walking Off The Buzz," due April 27. Push's roster also includes Hall & Oates.

Paradise stock closed Friday down $0.375, or 7.3%, to $4.75.

--Don Jeffrey, N.Y.


MTV India Names New MD

Alex Kuruvilla has been named managing director of MTV India, effective April 1. He replaces Sunil Lulla, who left in January. Kuruvilla will be based at MTV India's Mumbai headquarters and will report to Singapore-based Frank Brown, president of MTV Networks Asia. Kuruvilla is a 17-year veteran of the advertising business; he was most recently a VP at the J Walter Thompson agency.

--Nyay Bhushan, Mumbai


June Carter Cash To Issue Solo Set

June Carter Cash has finished recording her debut solo album. The Risk Records CD, due April 20, includes Carter Family material and new tunes, plus such songs as "Ring Of Fire," associated with her husband, Johnny Cash. Their son John Carter Cash is producing.

--Deborah Evans Price and Chet Flippo, Nashville


Sweden's MNW Names New CEO In Wake Of Takeover

Peter Yngen has been named successor to Jonas Sjostrom, the CEO of Stockholm-based MNW Records Group who abruptly exited last Wednesday following a hostile takeover of the company (Bulletin, Feb. 25). Yngen, who since last year has been crucial in developing Swedish indie label Underground Technology (UT), had meetings scheduled with MNW's domestic roster over the weekend and is due to visit the company's operations in Malmo, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Helsinki this week.

Meanwhile, Dag Hoggqvist, chairman of UT and IFPI Sweden, and former EMI Sweden director Rolf Nygren have been elected executive board members of MNW. "We are looking to include UT in MNW, but that is a matter for the board," Nygren tells Bulletin.

Contrary to what he previously told Bulletin, John Cloud is to remain MNW's head of international. "It's natural that people overreact under such circumstances," says Yngen.

--Kai R. Lofthus, Oslo


Ministry Of Sound Wins Two Counts Of Lawsuit

A London High Court judge has ruled in favor of the Ministry of Sound in two out of three counts in a breach-of-contract suit it brought against former director and shareholder Lyn Cosgrave, now VP of dance at Sony Music U.K. MOS, the dance music club/label complex, claimed that Cosgrave breached her duties by providing management services for DJs and wrongly removing sensitive documents from MOS' offices when she exited the company in September 1997.

The judge found MOS' case proven in two counts of the management allegations but cleared Cosgrave of wrongly removing documents. The judge ordered a separate inquiry into profits she earned in respect of the first two breaches.

--Roger Pearson, London


Sloan Double Live Set Due

Sloan is releasing its first live album. The two-CD set, "Four Nights At The Palais Royale," was recorded in November at the Toronto venue and is due March 23 on the band's murderecords label, which is distributed by Universal in Canada and Never Records Group/Proper Sales & Distribution in the U.S. The 28-track set contains material from the Canadian group's four albums. In March, Sloan will begin work on a studio release.


U.S. Releases This Week

The Latin Playboys, featuring Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Louie Perez with producer Mitchell Froom and engineer Tchad Blake, follow their 1994 cult-favorite debut with "Dose" (Atlantic). The free-wheeling, hallucinogenic set, says Froom, is a reaction to people "trying to make records that sound like other records. The Latin Playboys try to be the antithesis of that ... The recording studio is its own fantasy world--and things don't go well when you try to set artificial limits on it." The act plays 20 U.S. cities in April.

Ruth Brown's "A Good Day For The Blues" (Rounder) includes old-school R&B numbers such as the ballad "Never Let Me Go" alongside a cover of R. Kelly's smash "I Believe I Can Fly."

The Hollywood soundtrack to "SLC Punk" includes classics by the Ramones, Dead Kennedys, Fear, the Exploited, Blondie, and the Stooges.

Other key titles: Diane Schurr's "Music Is My Life" (Atlantic); 3 Colours Red's "Revolt" (Epic).


Jay-Z To Keep Award

Despite his boycott of the Grammy ceremony last Wednesday, Jay-Z will keep the award he won for best rap album for "Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life" (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/Mercury). In a statement issued Wednesday, the rapper said he had asked NARAS to withdraw his name from the three categories in which he was nominated. He cited the fact that the Grammys continue to overlook major rap artists.

"If they want to give us awards, we'll take them," says Damon Dash, co-founder/CEO of Roc-A-Fella. "But we aren't gonna drop everything and run to the show to get a small pat on the head when they don't even air the award he won. We feel we made our statement by boycotting the show."

--Carrie Bell, L.A.


Cody Moves To BMI

BMI has named John E. Cody senior VP of finance and human resources/CFO. Cody, formerly VP/controller of the Hearst Book Group (NY), will be based in Nashville, reporting to New York-based president/CEO Frances Preston. Cody is a member of BMI's senior management team.

--Irv Lichtman, N.Y.


Artist Developments

The '70s Revisited Tour, set to begin in April, will feature James Griffin, Larry Knechtel, Mike Botts of Bread, John Ford Coley, and Terry Sylvester of the Hollies.

--Ray Waddell, Amusement Business