ASCAP Radio Deal Leads To Senate OK For La Cienega

The Senate passed the music industry's "La Cienega" bill Thursday
by a voice vote. The bill closes a loophole in the 1909 Copyright Act that
put into peril most pre-1978 music copyrights. The loophole, which music
publishers and songwriters claim could cost them billions of dollars of
yearly income, came to light after a court ruling in the so-called La Cienega
case recognized a dated definition under which copyright information was
formerly affixed on records and ignored the decades-old practices of the
recording industry, long affirmed by the Copyright Office.

The bill had been held hostage by Senate lawmakers who were pressuring
music publishing interests for a deal with religious broadcasters on a
separate bill relating to music licensing. La Cienega's passage became
possible when an agreement on the licensing bill was reached late last
week between ASCAP and the National Religious Broadcasters Assn. Although
details were withheld pending negotiations with BMI and SESAC, Washington
insiders say the deal differs from the standard industry per-program license
agreement and offers lower fees to religious talk radio stations. ASCAP
CEO John LoFrumento and NRBA CEO Russ Hauth hailed the agreement as a "win-win
situation."

The House is expected to follow suit on both bills this week.

-Bill Holland, Washington, D.C.


Ex-Naxos Chief Doug King Forms Budget Jazz Label

Doug King, formerly CEO at Naxos, the successful budget classical label,
has switched to the budget jazz field with the formation of DBK Entertainment.
The label, based in Mt. Laurel, N.J., opens shop this week with six releases
and an overall plan to release 72 mostly newly recorded titles per year,
at $7.99 list.

The first six titles are jazz conversions of two current Broadway shows,
"Jekyll & Hyde" (Steve Goodman Trio) and "Miss Saigon"
(Frank Dibusolo Quartet), plus CDs by singer Clyde Terrell, trumpeter George
Rabbi, pianist Paul Arslanian, and instrumental jazzists Northbound.
King, who worked at Naxos from 1991-96, says he'll be putting out two
show score albums per month and two in Latin jazz. DBK staffers include
national sales manager Paul Brousseau and director of operations Howard
Weinstein.

-Irv Lichtman, N.Y.


Leonard To Deliver Sheet Music Via Web

Music print publisher Hal Leonard Corp. is launching Sheet Music Direct,
a new online service in which consumers can download sheet music via the
Internet. The service, possibly to begin this week, will offer a selection
of piano/vocal/guitar and guitar tab sheet music that can be purchased
through participating music dealers' Web sites and then downloaded and
printed by a customer's home computer.

Sheet Music Direct, which utilizes a new technology called MusicPage,
is a joint venture between Hal Leonard and music print publisher Music
Sales U.K.; Leonard will service the U.S. and Canada (the price is $3.95
per song), and Music Sales U.K. will service Europe.


Sonic Youth Guitarist, Sire Link For Label

Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore and journalist Byron Coley have
formed a new label, k/ey records, which will be manufactured and distributed
by Sire Records through ADA. The imprint will issue contemporary avant
music. No releases have been scheduled.


Major Revamp For Lackluster Opryland

Opryland USA will be converted to an entertainment and shopping mall
over the next two years. Parent Gaylord Entertainment is expected to announce
tomorrow that it is entering into a partnership with Mills Corp. and Simon
DeBartolo to develop the theme park into a combination retail mall and
music entertainment complex. Attendance at the park has dropped to about
2 million annually, less than the approximately 3.1 million guests each
year at the adjacent Opryland Hotel. The Mills Corp. operates a number
of such dual complexes, including the popular Sawgrass Mills in Florida.

-Chet Flippo, Nashville


Artist Developments

A&M's Matthew Ryan will support Mercury act the Refreshments on
a string of U.S. dates beginning Wednesday in Boston.
Guardian's Catie Curtis will open dates for Refuge/MCA artist Jonatha
Brooke beginning Wednesday in Philadelphia.


Sonic Images, Universal Team For U.S. Distribution

Independent label Sonic Images Records and its affiliated Earthtone
Records have inked a U.S. distribution agreement with Universal Music &
Video Distribution. Sonic Images is a specialist in film and television
soundtracks; Earthtone releases new age, chant, and world/ambient music.
The West Hollywood, Calif., company, founded in 1991, is owned by former
Tangerine Dream member Christopher Franke.

Sonic Images had been distributed by INDI in the U.S. and by independents
in Europe, Asia, and South America. According to U.S. label manager Brad
Pressman, Sonic Images fills a void at Universal left by new age label
Narada, which was purchased by Virgin in September. He adds that Sonic
Images is currently in talks with Universal about securing international
distribution.

The first releases under the new deal will be Sonic Images TV soundtracks
"Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman," "Poltergeist:
The Legacy," and "Chicago Hope" and Earthtone title "Transformation
Of Mind" by Franke featuring Deepak Chopra. All are due tomorrow in
the U.S.

Sonic Images' best-seller to date is the soundtrack "Babylon 5,"
released in April 1995, which sold 40,000 units in the U.S. and 80,000
overall, according to Pressman. The label's roster also includes Shadowfax
and Solar System. Earthtone's roster includes flamenco guitarist Nocy,
Primal Instinct, Native American ensemble Stonecoat, and Canadian vocalist/composer
Marcome.

-Carolyn Horwitz, N.Y.


Ex-Cop Fights Indian Piracy

Nearly half of all cassettes sold in India are pirate copies, according
to local IFPI affiliate the Indian Music Industry (IMI). According to Julio
F. Ribeiro, the former senior Indian Police Service officer recruited by
the IMI last October to head the group's fight against piracy, 10 million
of the 20.5 million cassettes sold in the territory each month are illegal.
Since the appointment of Ribeiro-nicknamed "supercop" by the
Indian media after years battling organized crime and terrorism-the west
Indian state of Maharashtra alone has seen piracy levels drop from 40%
to 20%. In India's eastern states, Ribeiro-who relies on a network of highly
paid informants to identify pirates-admits that still, "piracy levels
are very high." He has formed a task force to tackle the problem in
that part of the country.

-Nyay Bhushan, Mumbai, India


U.S. Releases This Week

The Spice Girls' "Spiceworld" (Virgin), is the soundtrack
to the full-length film of the same name, due in the U.S. Jan. 23. A world
tour kicks off Feb. 19 in Denmark.

Proceeds from the three-disc "Tibetan Freedom Concert" (Grand
Royal/Capitol) benefit the Milarepa Fund. Included are the Beastie Boys,
U2, Beck, Alanis Morissette, Bjork, Sonic Youth, and more.

Shania Twain follows 1995's multiplatinum "The Woman In Me"
with "Come On Over" (Mercury Nashville). First single "Love
Gets Me Every Time" is No. 1 on Hot Country Singles & Tracks.

Jane's Addiction returns from a five-year absence with "Kettle
Whistle" (Warner Bros.), an album of live tracks, rarities, and two
new songs.

Other key titles: Bobby Brown's "Forever" (MCA); Michael Bolton's
"All That Matters" (Columbia); Jonatha Brooke's "10