Rockers Push Policy, Not Product

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ROCKERS PUSH POLICY, NOT PRODUCT
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Carlos Bergfeld]
As a rule, rock stars have never shied away from taking up a political cause. But the advent of the Digital Age is giving musicians a host of new ways to mix both tech savvy and their rock star status to further an agenda. Coordinators of the SavetheInternet.com coalition back so-called "Net neutrality," or rules that would bar phone and cable companies from creating a multi-tiered fee structure on the Internet. They're hoping that participation of artists like Moby will help them spread the word. At least 10 other musicians and celebrities will soon add their voices to the plea, says Craig Aaron, a spokesman for FreePress.net, which is organizing the coalition. "These are folks that have a loyal fan base that looks to the artist," he says. "It's an opportunity to reach out to a new audience that is not necessarily paying attention to the ins and outs of media policy" at the Federal Communications Commission. So is this marriage of technology and politics on the part of musicians working out? Artists who back the free dissemination of music via the Web remain lone voices in the music industry. Meantime, the Net-neutrality backers have made little headway in Congress. Still, the influence these musicians can have with the public is undeniable. "For better or for worse, the mainstream media loves to write about celebrities," Aaron says. And the technologically advanced ways those celebrities try to bring their messages across.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2006/tc20060614_409987...