Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 44

BEST COPY E6 FRIDAY.FEBRUARr4.2005 WHAT'S ON -AVAILABLE- EDMONTON JOURNAL Alta. arts groups contribute $153 million to economy: study MP3.com founder to launch new music service Tracks will be sold in the MP3 format Advocates hope numbers will help in fight for funding boost rrcf: Y7HW 5 fV sell a song without DRM," Robertson said. "I don't think it's such a stretch." DRM is short for digital rights management, the industry term for copyprotection encoding. He is also planning to eventually launch a device for the home designed to function like a computer server where users can store their digital music and access it from other computers over the Internet. The device, dubbed MP3beamer, stems from Robertson's original "music-locker" concept a system to enable people to access their personal music collections wherever they go.

Robertson's first stab at it involved' buying thousands of CDs and making' them accessible in a central server run by MP3.com. That led to a slew of litigation. "Obviously, having one big centralized system didn't work out because of the licensing issues," he said. "So this is a different approach to that same problem." Robertson's iconoclastic entrepre-' neurial adventures include creating Lin-dows Inc. to sell distributions of the.

open-source Linux operating system. He later changed the company's name' to Linspire after getting $20 million-US from Microsoft Corp. in the Jury settlement of a trademark infringement suit. The Associated Press LOS ANCELES The founder of pioneering music download website MP3.com is preparing to re-enter the digital music business with a new online music service set to debut next week. As when he launched MP3.com in 1997, Michael Robertson's new service, dubbed MP3tunes, will sell tracks in the MP3 format, which doesn't have any copy-protection restrictions and can be played on most, if not all, digital music players.

The service, to go online next Feb. 10, will sell individual tracks for 88 cents and albums for $8.88 US, said Robertson. Because major record companies don't generally license their artists' music as MP3s, preferring to use formats that can set limits on copying and CD burning, none of the roughly 300,000 tracks initially for sale on MP3tunes will be from major label artists. Most other major online music services are licensed to sell a million or more major label and independent acts. Robertson, 37, said he's optimistic major record labels, despite their concerns over piracy, will eventually license music in the MP3 format.

"The industry has changed remarkably over the last seven to eight years and I think the next step is to say well 5 ft BRUCE EDWARDS, THE JOURNAL. FILE Arts groups such as the Edmonton Folk Music Festival contribute more than $150 million a year to the provincial economy. ARCHIE MCLEAN Journal Staff Writer EDMONTON Alberta arts advocates have a new arrow in their quiver as they battle for recognition of their contribution to the province's economic health. Arts groups funded by the Alberta Foundationforthe Arts contribute about $153 millioneach year to the province's economy and provide more than 3,500 full-time jobs, according toastudy by the foundation. "It is an economic force, it's an economic sector in its own right," Fay Orr, the deputy minister of community development, said in making the announcement.

The study, released Thursday, measured the impact of the arts community on Alberta's economy for the 2003-04 fiscal year. It looked specifically at the 481 organizations funded by the foundation, which is in charge of handing out provincial cultural grants. Those organizations include most of Edmonton's major cultural institutions, including the Citadel Theatre, the Alberta Ballet, the Edmonton Opera, the Edmonton Art Gallery and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The study did not, however, include the province's film industry, video-game industry, the contributions of individual artists, spinoffs from culture-related tourism or any school-based arts program. Because of this, the study, which was done by a private contractor, is likely a conservative estimate of the economic figures.

TheAFA gave out about $13 million in grants to the organizations in the study. That works out to a 1 12 return on in- efits that accompany a thriving arts community. Still, the numbers are a key piece of ammunition for advocates hoping to see increased funding for the arts. In December, Theatre Calgary president Tom McCabe asked 650 Alberta arts groups, including the Citadel Theatre and the Edmonton Symphony, to get their patrons to sign a petition urging the government to double the AFA grant to $40 million. McCabe says 102 groups responded, with a total of 18,000 signatures.

He said he's made the funding pitch to Gary Mar, the new Minister of Community Development, which oversees the AFA. He said Mar was sympathetic, and took the case to the Tory caucus. The Alberta government is drawing up its next budget, and McCabe said he hopes it includes at least some of the requested arts funding boost. With files from Bill Rankin amcleanthejournal.canwest.com vestment. Tm impressed with the figure said Jeffrey Anderson, the foundation's executive director.

"This is the first time we've been able to quantify the impact in really measurable, accurate terms." John Mahon, the executive director of the Edmonton Arts Council, said the study confirmed what his organization has argued for more than a decade: the arts are good for the province both culturally and economically. He would like to see the government increase funding for the AFA from its current budget of $20 million to $60 million a year. "If this government doesn't increase arts funding now, especially during the centennial year when they're counting heavily on the arts to liven the party, then when will they?" he asked. The cold, hard economicnumbers are just one way the arts community affects the province, said Mahon. There are also the social, educational and artistic ben- TTTaihrt mT tiffr What's your great love story? Is it A-Channel will be rebranded as Citytv ed magazine has 10 copies of 'heNotebooklo share ithyou but only if you share something with us first Toronto, Citytv studios featureKiigh-en-ergy hosts and open studiosattreet -level.

CHUM Television bought nel stations in late 2004 from Calgary- based Craig Media.The company hjppgs its new acquisitions will allow it to spread cosdyprograrnming rights across awider network and attract national ad- vertisers to a larger audience. Viewers can expect the new stations to. be on air in either August or amcleanthejournal.canwest.com The Citytv stations have a distinct urban flavour, said Ellen Baine, vice-president of programming for CHUM tele-visoa But that doesn't mean viewers can expect a retread of the exact formula that hasyorked in Toronto. i "Each city has its own local flavour to Details of the new stations are still being worked out, but Baine said viewers can expect culturally diverse on-air per-1; sonalities as well as lots of movies from their extensive library. In Vancouver and ARCHIE McLEAN Journal Staff Writer EDMONTON Alberta and Manitoba A-Channel stations are getting a new look and a new name from their new owners.

CHUM Television, which bought the stations in Edmonton, Calgary and Manitoba, announced Thursday that they will be rebranded this summer as Gtytv outlets, joining established stations in Toronto and Vancouver. E-mail your story, along with a few detalfe about yourself to edhejoumal.canwest.com. Deadline for submissions is Feb.10. MMV NEW LINE PRODUCTIONS JNC. MMV NEW UNE HOME ENTERTAINMENT.

INCRIOHTS! RESERVED. otsTrEDexajusivHy in Canada by motion picture distribution u. all rights reserved. 4tli Annual Southern Gospel Benefit Concert Help send Hundreds of IHHlRisk" In Tune Bill Rankin In Culture JmlthU A tramanrlnilV BVPninn lit miisili. U.S.

bill would allow films to be 'sanitized' surmTjetJcanip encouragement, vision and challenge. Quests Include: r. I in 0. aedom Quartet I 4-WHETHER YOU The Associated Press WASHINGTON '1 Forever Edmonton Favorites Vtie Kingsmen Quartet The Fresh, Exciting New Sound of Mission Quartet with Rod Kurtz, Norm Bonk. Paul Rizko and Sterling Larwill Also Featuring Former Miss Klondike Kate OSIl PAINT IT, WALLPAPER IT, PLANT IT, FIX IT UP OR MOVE IT OUT, IT'S TIME TO GET READY FOR SPRING.

Colleen Wilson west i li -in mi I 1111 Al isinthe um mmmmL Legislation that would enable parents to skip movie scenes deemed offensive on DVDs is moving quickly in Congress. It also would create stiffer penalties for people who bring video cameras into theatres to make pirated copies. "Parents have a right to decide what their children see on television and no oneshould deny them that right," said Representative Lamar Smith (It-Texas), who introduced the bill in the House. "Fortunately, technology exists that shields children from vio-ience, sex, and profanity. It is the electronic equivalent of fast-forwarding over unwanted content" The legislation was introduced because Hollywood studios and directors had sued to stop the makers and distributors of the technology.

The movies' creators had argued that changing the content would violate their copyrights. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said the bill would create an exemption in the copyright laws to make sure companies like QearPlay, a Salt Lake City business, won't get sued out of existence. The bill Vill help to end aggressive litigation threatening the viability of small companies like QearPlay which are busy creating innovative technologies for consumers that allow them to tailor their home viewing experience to their own said last week. The House judiciary committee is expected to take up the legislation soon. The Senate passed a similar bill by voice vote Tuesday.

In addition, the legislation introduced in the House and passed by the Senate would create new penalties for criminals who use small video cameras to record and sell bootlegged copies of first-run films. If the bill becomes law, people convicted of using cameras to bootleg movies could face as much as three years in federal prison plus fines. HOME EDITION Twi ticteu peoiiii tight ef Keuusontiiom Febmnr Ta it 8m Cttadel THeatrt. man at Brnvt Kstra. Brnt trom Partaod UBSustoes ud tw water Qienun ireataests tron tit Opssll rjAi 1 df i 4 X.

1 Co. 0 'aw; a i MaJ or deliver to: Metamorphoses. Edmonton Journal, Box 2421 Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 2S6. Contest deadline: Feb iiary 9, 5pm EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDTDON OPEN HOMES WHOSE DESIGN 5 ITANYWAY? R00MTO GROW.