Billie Eilish, Lorde, Green Day, and Fall Out Boy are among the hundreds of artists to sign an open letter asking Congress to pass the Fans First Act, a bill that takes aim at “deceptive” and “predatory” ticket resellers.
The letter, organized by the Fix the Tix Coalition, was also signed by a range of artists across all genres, from Becky G, Chappell Roan, and Darlene Love to Graham Nash, Goose, Pixies, and Finneas.
Addressed to Sens. Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz — both members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce,...
The letter, organized by the Fix the Tix Coalition, was also signed by a range of artists across all genres, from Becky G, Chappell Roan, and Darlene Love to Graham Nash, Goose, Pixies, and Finneas.
Addressed to Sens. Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz — both members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Update: President Joe Biden signed a massive national security bill that requires that ByteDance divest TikTok or face a ban on app stores as soon as nine months from now.
Biden gave remarks after signing the bill, highlighting the $95 billion outlay for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
He did not mention the provision on TikTok, the popular social media platform that has raised concerns that the Chinese government would get access to user information.
In a video posted on X/Twitter, TikTok CEO Shou Chew said that the new law was “obviously a disappointing moment, but it does not need to be a defining one.”
“Rest assured, we are not going anywhere,” he said, adding that they would challenge the law in the courts.
“The facts and the Constitution are on side, and we expect to prevail again,” he said.
ByteDance has nine months to sell TikTok or face a ban,...
Biden gave remarks after signing the bill, highlighting the $95 billion outlay for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
He did not mention the provision on TikTok, the popular social media platform that has raised concerns that the Chinese government would get access to user information.
In a video posted on X/Twitter, TikTok CEO Shou Chew said that the new law was “obviously a disappointing moment, but it does not need to be a defining one.”
“Rest assured, we are not going anywhere,” he said, adding that they would challenge the law in the courts.
“The facts and the Constitution are on side, and we expect to prevail again,” he said.
ByteDance has nine months to sell TikTok or face a ban,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
As TikTok attempts to sidestep a U.S. ban or a forced divestiture by parent company ByteDance, it is pointing to the financial benefits it brings to small businesses. The video app has highlighted a study performed by Oxford Economics, which found that TikTok generated $14.7 billion for U.S.-based small businesses in 2023.
Oxford Economics’ findings are collected on a landing page that details TikTok’s economic impact. The ByteDance-owned app notes that 88% of measured small businesses saw sales increases after promoting products or services on TikTok. 45% of those businesses said that TikTok is a critical support system for their continued existence.
The research on TikTok’s economic impact stems from a survey of 1,050 small businesses and 7,500 consumers from all 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C. All participating businesses possess business accounts on TikTok. In total, TikTok claims that it has seven million active businesses on its platform. Collectively,...
Oxford Economics’ findings are collected on a landing page that details TikTok’s economic impact. The ByteDance-owned app notes that 88% of measured small businesses saw sales increases after promoting products or services on TikTok. 45% of those businesses said that TikTok is a critical support system for their continued existence.
The research on TikTok’s economic impact stems from a survey of 1,050 small businesses and 7,500 consumers from all 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C. All participating businesses possess business accounts on TikTok. In total, TikTok claims that it has seven million active businesses on its platform. Collectively,...
- 4/4/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
The Senate is expected to vote on a proposal that would prevent ByteDance from operating TikTok in the United States, but before it does, it may air its findings in public. Several Senators, including Maria Cantwell (D-wa) and Mark Warner (D-va), have suggested that U.S. legislators should hold a hearing to discuss the threat TikTok poses to American consumers.
The proposed ban would be enforced through a bill co-authored by Congressmen Mike Gallagher (R-Wi) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-il). Beijing-based ByteDance could avoid a U.S. ban by divesting TikTok so that the app’s parent company would no longer possess ties to a “foreign adversary” like China. When Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi’s bill passed in the House of Representatives, the Department of Justice indicated that it would prefer to push for a divestiture rather than an outright TikTok ban.
One of the biggest issues the bill faces is the general public.
The proposed ban would be enforced through a bill co-authored by Congressmen Mike Gallagher (R-Wi) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-il). Beijing-based ByteDance could avoid a U.S. ban by divesting TikTok so that the app’s parent company would no longer possess ties to a “foreign adversary” like China. When Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi’s bill passed in the House of Representatives, the Department of Justice indicated that it would prefer to push for a divestiture rather than an outright TikTok ban.
One of the biggest issues the bill faces is the general public.
- 3/21/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
It’s been nearly one year since TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew visited Capitol Hill for a contentious hearing, but Congress is still trying to figure out how it wants to regulate the world’s top short-form video app. The latest proposal comes from a bipartisan group of U.S. Congresspeople, who are hoping to force ByteDance to divest TikTok.
The latest bill was introduced in the House by Mike Gallagher (R-wi) and Raja Krishnamoorthi, who are the Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi’s bill, which was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of about a dozen Congressional reps, takes on “Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications.” The list of qualifying foreign adversaries includes Iran, Russia, North Korea, and ByteDance’s home country, China.
ByteDance and TikTok are specifically named in the bill. Should the measure be signed into law,...
The latest bill was introduced in the House by Mike Gallagher (R-wi) and Raja Krishnamoorthi, who are the Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi’s bill, which was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of about a dozen Congressional reps, takes on “Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications.” The list of qualifying foreign adversaries includes Iran, Russia, North Korea, and ByteDance’s home country, China.
ByteDance and TikTok are specifically named in the bill. Should the measure be signed into law,...
- 3/5/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
When the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian hosted Apple Original Films’ Killers of the Flower Moon for an event on Friday, director Martin Scorsese and star Lily Gladstone talked extensively about the development and production of the Oscar-nominated epic.
But the multiple Oscar nominated film also is in line with so much of what the Smithsonian is trying to do, according to the Smithsonian’s secretary, Lonnie Bunch, and comes at a time when there is so much debate over the teaching of unvarnished chapters of the American past.
“These kinds of films can help us heal, at the very least help us come to grips with our tortured racist past, come to grips with all the challenges of our history, of by doing that, we find our shared humanity,” Bunch said at the event. “We learn that [with] films like Killers of the Flowers Moon, you cannot escape history,...
But the multiple Oscar nominated film also is in line with so much of what the Smithsonian is trying to do, according to the Smithsonian’s secretary, Lonnie Bunch, and comes at a time when there is so much debate over the teaching of unvarnished chapters of the American past.
“These kinds of films can help us heal, at the very least help us come to grips with our tortured racist past, come to grips with all the challenges of our history, of by doing that, we find our shared humanity,” Bunch said at the event. “We learn that [with] films like Killers of the Flowers Moon, you cannot escape history,...
- 1/27/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
TikTok continues to face criticism from American politicians, but the Congressional plan to regulate the app is going on the back burner — at least until 2024. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-wa), who heads the Senate Commerce Committee, told Reuters that Congress will not take up TikTok-oriented legislation until the calendar turns over to a new year.
Congress’ ultimate goal is to pass a bill that would imbue the Biden Administration with the regulatory powers it would need to check foreign-owned apps. China-based companies, including TikTok parent ByteDance, would be put on a particularly tight leash if D.C. lawmakers follow through on the threats they’ve been making for months.
Cantwell has been charged with revising the Restrict Act, which was originally introduced as a means of banning TikTok in the United States. There seem to be partisan squabbles over the bill’s intention, with Democrats like Cantwell proposing softer terms that would...
Congress’ ultimate goal is to pass a bill that would imbue the Biden Administration with the regulatory powers it would need to check foreign-owned apps. China-based companies, including TikTok parent ByteDance, would be put on a particularly tight leash if D.C. lawmakers follow through on the threats they’ve been making for months.
Cantwell has been charged with revising the Restrict Act, which was originally introduced as a means of banning TikTok in the United States. There seem to be partisan squabbles over the bill’s intention, with Democrats like Cantwell proposing softer terms that would...
- 12/8/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
It may be time for the United States Senate’s proposed TikTok ban to receive some edits. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-wa), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, has called for an amendment to the contentious Restrict Act.
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Restrict Act in March, days before TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made a contentious visit to Capitol Hill. The initial version of the Restrict Act, which received approval from President Biden, gave the White House power to regulate apps controlled by foreign entities. TikTok is owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance.
In the months since March, TikTok has continued to deal with fallout related to its handling of U.S. user data. But even though the Senate still has security concerns related to TikTok, recent developments have suggested that a wholesale ban on the app may not be so easy to enforce. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte...
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Restrict Act in March, days before TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made a contentious visit to Capitol Hill. The initial version of the Restrict Act, which received approval from President Biden, gave the White House power to regulate apps controlled by foreign entities. TikTok is owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance.
In the months since March, TikTok has continued to deal with fallout related to its handling of U.S. user data. But even though the Senate still has security concerns related to TikTok, recent developments have suggested that a wholesale ban on the app may not be so easy to enforce. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte...
- 7/27/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Ticketmaster (owned by Live Nation), SeatGeek, and other ticketing companies have agreed to institute all-in pricing in response to the White House’s crackdown on hidden junk fees.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden met with representatives from the ticketing industry and venue owners — including the CEOs of SeatGeek, TickPick, and others as well as the president of Live Nation Venues — in an effort to bring “honest, transparent pricing” to the ticket-buying experience.
The good news for consumers is that, in the near future, when they purchase tickets, they’ll no...
On Thursday, President Joe Biden met with representatives from the ticketing industry and venue owners — including the CEOs of SeatGeek, TickPick, and others as well as the president of Live Nation Venues — in an effort to bring “honest, transparent pricing” to the ticket-buying experience.
The good news for consumers is that, in the near future, when they purchase tickets, they’ll no...
- 6/15/2023
- by Daniel Kreps and Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Demand for concerts continues rising and bolstering the revenue of ticket seller and concert promoter and operator Live Nation.
The company reported total first-quarter revenue of $3.1 billion, up from $1.8 billion a year earlier and above analyst expectations. Concerts brought in $2.3 billion of that revenue, up from $1.2 billion, while ticketing increased to $678 million, from $480 million. Live Nation reported a loss of 25 cents per share, compared to a loss of 39 cents per share the prior year.
This comes as the company was able to operate in all of its markets worldwide for the first time in three years (Asia was the last market to reopen). The company sold more than 145 million tickets in its first quarter.
So far, Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, has sold close to 90 million tickets for concerts this year, which is up 20 percent from this time last year. The early sales numbers have included tickets to concerts from Beyoncé,...
The company reported total first-quarter revenue of $3.1 billion, up from $1.8 billion a year earlier and above analyst expectations. Concerts brought in $2.3 billion of that revenue, up from $1.2 billion, while ticketing increased to $678 million, from $480 million. Live Nation reported a loss of 25 cents per share, compared to a loss of 39 cents per share the prior year.
This comes as the company was able to operate in all of its markets worldwide for the first time in three years (Asia was the last market to reopen). The company sold more than 145 million tickets in its first quarter.
So far, Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, has sold close to 90 million tickets for concerts this year, which is up 20 percent from this time last year. The early sales numbers have included tickets to concerts from Beyoncé,...
- 5/4/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It was a busy day for the live music industry in Washington today as senators introduced multiple pieces of legislation aimed at improving transparency and competition in ticketing.
One of the most common complaints among music fans in a long list of gripes about the modern ticketing industry is the hidden fees that get tacked on at the very end of a purchase, adding a deceptive extra costs customers won’t even see until they’ve already selected their seats based on a different price. The Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing,...
One of the most common complaints among music fans in a long list of gripes about the modern ticketing industry is the hidden fees that get tacked on at the very end of a purchase, adding a deceptive extra costs customers won’t even see until they’ve already selected their seats based on a different price. The Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Democratic lawmakers are condemning the Biden administration’s approval of ConocoPhillips’ massive Willow oil drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope. The decision represents a clear reversal of Biden’s 2020 campaign promise to end the approval of new oil and gas permits on federal lands and waters.
In a joint statement released through the House Natural Resources Committee, several Democratic lawmakers — including Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), committee ranking member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-n.Y.), and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said the decision “ignores the voices of the people of Nuiqsut,...
In a joint statement released through the House Natural Resources Committee, several Democratic lawmakers — including Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), committee ranking member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-n.Y.), and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said the decision “ignores the voices of the people of Nuiqsut,...
- 3/13/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
Updated, with information on delayed vote: The Directors Guild of America is urging the Senate Commerce Committee to reject Joe Biden’s nominee to the FCC, citing Gigi Sohn’s past stances on copyright.
The committee was scheduled to take up Sohn’s nomination on Wednesday, but it will be postponed because of the absence of Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-nm), whose office announced that he suffered a stroke. He is expected to make a full recovery.
The guild sent a letter on Tuesday to its chairwoman, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-wa) objecting to the choice. In the letter obtained by Deadline (read it here), the DGA’s national executive director Russell Hollander wrote that Sohn’s “long standing record and hostility towards copyright law is inconsistent with the role of the FCC.” He argued that the agency’s role in licensing and regulation of TV, satellite and cable “implicate intellectual property.
The committee was scheduled to take up Sohn’s nomination on Wednesday, but it will be postponed because of the absence of Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-nm), whose office announced that he suffered a stroke. He is expected to make a full recovery.
The guild sent a letter on Tuesday to its chairwoman, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-wa) objecting to the choice. In the letter obtained by Deadline (read it here), the DGA’s national executive director Russell Hollander wrote that Sohn’s “long standing record and hostility towards copyright law is inconsistent with the role of the FCC.” He argued that the agency’s role in licensing and regulation of TV, satellite and cable “implicate intellectual property.
- 2/1/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
President Joe Biden plans to name Jessica Rosenworcel as permanent chair of the FCC, while he will nominate Gigi Sohn to fill a vacancy on the commission.
Lobbyists and lawmakers have been buzzing for months over the delay in Biden’s decision over the commission, which has been deadlocked 2-2 between Republicans and Democrats since he came into office.
Rosenworcel, who has been acting chair, will be the first woman to become permanent chair of the 87-year-old commission. Biden also nominated her for an additional term.
Sohn, a longtime public interest advocate who served as counselor to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, who served during Barack Obama’s second term, had been viewed as one of the contenders for a slot on the commission. If Rosenworcel is confirmed to a new term and Sohn to fill the vacancy, Democrats will hold a 3-2 majority on the FCC, allowing them to tackle...
Lobbyists and lawmakers have been buzzing for months over the delay in Biden’s decision over the commission, which has been deadlocked 2-2 between Republicans and Democrats since he came into office.
Rosenworcel, who has been acting chair, will be the first woman to become permanent chair of the 87-year-old commission. Biden also nominated her for an additional term.
Sohn, a longtime public interest advocate who served as counselor to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, who served during Barack Obama’s second term, had been viewed as one of the contenders for a slot on the commission. If Rosenworcel is confirmed to a new term and Sohn to fill the vacancy, Democrats will hold a 3-2 majority on the FCC, allowing them to tackle...
- 10/26/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
A group of Senate lawmakers introduced a bill to try to boost local news outlets, reflecting the ongoing concern in Congress over the struggle and, in many cases, demise of newspaper, digital, TV and radio outlets.
The Local Journalism Sustainability Act would provide subscribers with tax credits of up to $250 annually to cover a portion of subscription costs. It will cover 80% of the subscription costs in the first year and 50% in the next four years.
Another credit would provide the news outlets with up to $25,000 to defray employment taxes in the first year, and $15,000 in the next four years, for each employee. That would cover 50% of compensation up to $50,000 in the first year and 30% in the next four years. Journalists would have to work a minimum of 100 hours per quarter to qualify as an eligible employee.
The bill also provides a credit for small businesses to advertise in local media,...
The Local Journalism Sustainability Act would provide subscribers with tax credits of up to $250 annually to cover a portion of subscription costs. It will cover 80% of the subscription costs in the first year and 50% in the next four years.
Another credit would provide the news outlets with up to $25,000 to defray employment taxes in the first year, and $15,000 in the next four years, for each employee. That would cover 50% of compensation up to $50,000 in the first year and 30% in the next four years. Journalists would have to work a minimum of 100 hours per quarter to qualify as an eligible employee.
The bill also provides a credit for small businesses to advertise in local media,...
- 7/23/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
President Donald Trump’s nomination of Nathan Simington to fill a slot on the FCC cleared the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.
If Simington is approved by the full Senate, Republicans and Democrats each would have two seats on the FCC, setting up a deadlock in the early days of Joe Biden’s administration. Democrats will have a majority once whoever Biden nominates to fill the fifth seat is confirmed, a process that has in past years taken months.
The committee voted 14-12 along party lines to confirm Simington. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-wa), the top Democrat on the committee, objected to his nomination, in part because “real questions have been raised about Mr. Simington’s candor with the committee during this confirmation process.” She cited emails which she said misrepresented his involvement in efforts to “do the president’s bidding on Section 230.”
Politico reported that Simington, as an adviser at...
If Simington is approved by the full Senate, Republicans and Democrats each would have two seats on the FCC, setting up a deadlock in the early days of Joe Biden’s administration. Democrats will have a majority once whoever Biden nominates to fill the fifth seat is confirmed, a process that has in past years taken months.
The committee voted 14-12 along party lines to confirm Simington. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-wa), the top Democrat on the committee, objected to his nomination, in part because “real questions have been raised about Mr. Simington’s candor with the committee during this confirmation process.” She cited emails which she said misrepresented his involvement in efforts to “do the president’s bidding on Section 230.”
Politico reported that Simington, as an adviser at...
- 12/2/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Washington state officials passed a bill to rename a post office near Jimi Hendrix‘s hometown of Seattle to honor the guitar god.
Both of Washington’s U.S. senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, supported Rep. Adam Smith’s bill to rechristen Renton Highlands Post Office as the James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix Post Office. The bill was signed into law last week after it passed unanimously.
The post office, located in the Seattle suburb of Renton, is less than a mile from the Jimi Hendrix Memorial in the Greenwood Memorial Park cemetery,...
Both of Washington’s U.S. senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, supported Rep. Adam Smith’s bill to rechristen Renton Highlands Post Office as the James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix Post Office. The bill was signed into law last week after it passed unanimously.
The post office, located in the Seattle suburb of Renton, is less than a mile from the Jimi Hendrix Memorial in the Greenwood Memorial Park cemetery,...
- 12/30/2018
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The WGA West’s political action committee had a strong midterm election night, helping to flip the House of Representatives. Twenty-six of the 31 candidates it endorsed – all Democrats – were elected, including 18 of the 19 House candidates it backed, and nine of its 14 senatorial picks.
Most of the candidates it supported were incumbents, but the union also backed two candidates who defeated incumbent Republicans: Jackie Rosen, who unseated Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, and Harley Rouda, who ousted longtime Southern California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and helped give the Democrats control of the House.
The guild’s Pac, which backed up its endorsements with more than $200,000 in campaign contributions, also supported winning senators Dianne Feinstein, Elizabeth Warren, Jon Tester, Tammy Baldwin, Sherrod Brown, Maria Cantwell and Amy Klobuchar along with Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Dems. The losing senatorial candidates it backed were Heidi Heitkamp, Claire McCaskill, Phil Bredesen, Joe Donnelly and Bill Nelson,...
Most of the candidates it supported were incumbents, but the union also backed two candidates who defeated incumbent Republicans: Jackie Rosen, who unseated Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, and Harley Rouda, who ousted longtime Southern California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and helped give the Democrats control of the House.
The guild’s Pac, which backed up its endorsements with more than $200,000 in campaign contributions, also supported winning senators Dianne Feinstein, Elizabeth Warren, Jon Tester, Tammy Baldwin, Sherrod Brown, Maria Cantwell and Amy Klobuchar along with Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Dems. The losing senatorial candidates it backed were Heidi Heitkamp, Claire McCaskill, Phil Bredesen, Joe Donnelly and Bill Nelson,...
- 11/7/2018
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court battle has turned into one of the most contentious nominations in our nation’s history. President Trump’s nominee has been accused of past sexual assaults and of being dishonest before the Senate.
Despite testimony by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh’s nomination cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote on September 28th. Following an unaccountably incomplete investigation by the FBI, Kavanaugh’s nomination cleared a key procedural hurdle, setting up a final vote this weekend.
On Friday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-me) delivered...
Despite testimony by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh’s nomination cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote on September 28th. Following an unaccountably incomplete investigation by the FBI, Kavanaugh’s nomination cleared a key procedural hurdle, setting up a final vote this weekend.
On Friday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-me) delivered...
- 10/5/2018
- by Tim Dickinson
- Rollingstone.com
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