Andy Snavley of Bendy Music, Inglewood, Calif., has been elected president of the Association of Music Producers’ (AMP) West Coast chapter. He began serving a two-year term on Feb. 1, succeeding Liz Myers of Trivers/Myers Music, Manhattan Beach, Calif., who continues as a member of the AMP chapter’s board. Snavley said that as AMP president he intends “to continue our tradition of advocating for composers and sound designers, of expanding our reach into new markets, and providing a forum for professional sound creators.” The slate of West Coast officers elected to serve under Snavley consists of chapter first VP Reinhard Denke of stimmung, Santa Monica; second VP Peter Donald of Jazz Planet, Santa Monica; and secretary/treasurer Tina Reyes of Elias Arts, Santa Monica. Other West chapter board members are: Myers; Dain Blair of Groove Addicts, Los Angeles; Howard Dubin of Chris Bell & Company, West Los Angeles; Andrew Hagen of Schtung Music America, Santa Monica; Judy Santi of Team Services, Burbank; Ann Marie Wachel of Soundelux Design Music Group, Hollywood; and Roger Wojahn of Wojahn Bros. Music, Santa Moinca. AMP maintains chapters in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Goals of the organization, which represents companies in the business of creating spot music and sound, include addressing common concerns, such as commercial production procedures, composer royalties, rights agreements, group insurance protections, and the promotion of original music in advertising. AMP is affiliated with the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP).
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More