This Week’s Top Stories

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  EMI is in the midst of a major restructuring which will lead to layoffs.  Thus far senior execs Alain Levy and David Munns have been let go and two other execs have been upped to fit a new organizational chart reporting to surviving Chairman Eric Nicoli.
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  The Chairman of FCC reminds XM and Sirius that rules ban a merger. And a proposal to settle the radio/label payola probe might lead to a requirement for broadcasters to play more Independent music.
• A year end report shows a comparatively solid year in 2006 for the Canadian Music industry. But the IFPI’s international digital music report is less optimistic.
• Music networking site ReverbNation announced a partnership with SNOCAP that enables artists to sell their music across viral platforms.
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  Apple reported a record quarter with 21 million iPods sold in the last three months of 2006. But investors are nervous about low projections for next quarter and a pending SEC investigation.
• Unsigned act Koopa hits the UK Top 40 with a digital only D.I.Y. release.