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iHeartRadio is facing a class-action lawsuit from subscribers after disclosing that several of its radio stations were hacked months ago, exposing Social Security numbers, financial information and other personal details.
The lawsuit came a week after the radio giant warned customers in regulatory filings last week that “an unauthorized actor viewed and obtained files” at a “small number of our local stations” in December, potentially stealing SSNs, dates of birth, and credit card info.
iHeart said it “immediately implemented our response protocols” to contain the hack, and is offering free credit monitoring to those affected. The company also said it had “strengthened its existing security measures” to “help prevent something like this from happening again.”
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Those assurances were not enough for Cheryl Shields, a subscriber who filed a proposed class action against iHeart on Wednesday in New York federal court, seeking to represent customers nationwide whose data was compromised. In doing so, her attorneys blasted iHeart for waiting four months to warn subscribers that their data was at risk.
“As a result of this delayed response, plaintiff and class members had no idea for four months that their private information had been compromised, and that they were, and continue to be, at significant risk of identity theft and various other forms of personal, social, and financial harm,” Shield’s lawyers write. “The risk will remain for their respective lifetimes.”
The data exposed in the iHeart breach “represents a gold mine for data thieves,” the lawyers write, and there has been “no assurance offered by iHeart that all personal data or copies of data have been recovered or destroyed.”
A spokesperson for iHeart did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday.
Such lawsuits are common following data breaches. After the credit-reporting company Equifax suffered a 2017 data breach that exposed the personal data of nearly 150 million Americans, the company agreed to pay $425 million to resolve nationwide class-action litigation filed by consumers.
The scale of the iHeart data breach is undoubtedly far smaller. The company did not disclose in regulatory filings how many total victims were involved nationwide, though a notification filed in Maine said only three subscribers in that state had been impacted. Disclosure forms were also filed in California and Massachusetts, as first reported The Record.
In technical legal terms, Wednesday’s lawsuit accused iHeart of negligence, arguing that the company had a legal duty to safeguard consumer’s data.
“As a national media and audio provider in possession of millions of customers’ private information, iHeart knew, or should have known, the importance of safeguarding the
Private Information entrusted to it by Plaintiff and Class Members and of the foreseeable consequences they would suffer if iHeart’s data security systems were breached,” Shields’ lawyers write. “Nevertheless, iHeart failed to take adequate cybersecurity measures to prevent the data breach.”
AEG Presents announced today that Andrew Spencer has been named chief operating officer of AEG Presents Europe. In his new job, Spencer will oversee the concert promotions company’s network of promoters, venues and festivals and focus on realigning the company’s strategy and growth initiatives in the region. Spencer will be headquartered in London, where he […]
Indie digital rights group Merlin has announced its first partner for Merlin Connect, an initiative designed to help emerging social and tech platforms license music while increasing payouts for indie artists.
On Thursday (May 8), Merlin revealed that it has partnered on the initiative with Nina Protocol, a music platform and direct-to-fan marketplace that’s described in a press release as “built to empower independent artists and labels through fair economics, direct payments, and tools for directly engaging their communities.”
Through the initiative, which was unveiled last June, Merlin will provide chosen platforms with music, API-backed operational infrastructure, and support and mentorship — including access to industry experts and collaboration with Merlin members — to help supercharge the platforms’ growth.
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“Through Merlin Connect, we’re investing in a future where quality independent music is foundational to digital innovation,” said Jeremy Sirota, CEO of Merlin, in a statement. “It’s about identifying partners like Nina Protocol whose mission, principles, and passion align closely with our own, and providing them with licensing solutions and dedicated support to help them thrive. Nina’s approach to artist empowerment, transparent monetization, and platform independence makes them a powerful partner for our members and a standout among emerging platforms in the space.”
Founded in 2021 by Mike Pollard, Eric Farber and Jack Callahan, Nina Protocol allows artists and labels to grow release earnings via direct-to-fan sales while keeping 100% of digital sales revenue. It also lets fans “unlock perks” when they support artists and discover music “through both lean-back listening and active ‘crate-digging’ exploration,” according to the release, which adds that Nina Protocol “is known for its high-quality editorial content — designed to feature artists, scenes and new releases.”
“We believe the future of music is independent,” said John Pollard, COO at Nina Protocol. “In Merlin, we have found an ideal partner with an impressive track record of demonstrating how independent music can come together to secure its own digital future. This partnership connects Nina with Merlin’s diverse global membership, providing high-quality catalog and crucial insights that will help us continue to build technology that serves the independent music community and strengthens the independence of artists and labels worldwide.”
Prior to the partnership, Merlin members were already using Nina Protocol to build artist-to-fan communities. This included Mad Decent artist LUCY participating in a Q&A on the platform; artist Harto Falión being featured in a “Nina Interview Vid”; Warp Records’ OPN taking part in a Nina interview; and artist Wu-Lu engaging fans in a Q&A session. Through the partnership, the release says, Merlin Connect will work to “bring Nina’s impact to the wider Merlin membership.”
Merlin Connect content is slated to launch on Nina Protocol this summer.
Warner Music Group reported quarterly revenue edged nearly 1% lower and net income was down almost 63% for the start of the year, as the label home of stars like Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga struggled with tough comparisons to last year’s quarter.
WMG reported overall revenue of $1.48 billion and recorded music revenue of $1.175 billion, a 1% decline, for the fiscal second quarter, which ended March 31, compared to a year ago. Publishing revenue rose 1% to $310 million. Net income was $36 million compared to $96 million a year ago, due to lower recorded music revenue, a $34-million loss due to exchange rates costing the company more on its euro-denominated loans and an $11 million increase in a certain kind of taxes.
Total digital revenue slipped 1% with streaming revenue roughly flat, which reflects the comparison to last year’s boon quarter, a lighter release slate and market share loss in China.
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WMG CEO Robert Kyncl says these results belie the green shoots showing from company’s cost-cutting and new releases strategy, which he says results in their growing market share of new releases. Songs performed by WMG artists like Mars, Billie Eilish, Benson Boone and Teddy Swims currently claim half of the spots atop Billboard’s Global 200 chart.
“Our strategy is starting to bear fruit, with our strongest chart presence in two years … As a result, our true strength this quarter was partially obscured by challenging comparisons with last year’s outperformance,” Kyncl said in a statement, referring in part to last year’s 13.5% subscription streaming growth. “As we replicate our strategy across other labels and geographies, and drive a virtuous cycle of greater reinvestment, we expect to deliver lasting value for artists and songwriters, and sustained growth and profitability for shareholders.”
Adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) declined 3% to $303 million, and adjusted OIBDA margin decreased half a percentage point to 20.4%.
Because it earns more than half of its income from outside of the United States, WMG releases earnings on constant currency basis — a method that updates last year’s revenue and other line items using this year’s foreign exchange rates.
On a constant currency basis, overall quarterly revenue rose 1% — though recorded music and publishing both still declined by 2% and 5% respectively — and adjusted OIBDA declined by 1%.
Universal Music Group wants a federal judge to dismiss Drake’s updated defamation lawsuit that complained about Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance of “Not Like Us,” arguing he’s just upset about a “rap artist who defeated him.”
Weeks after Drake filed an amended version of his case that claimed the halftime show was intended to “assassinate the character of another artist,” UMG fired back Wednesday – arguing that the new claims about the Super Bowl are as legally faulty as the rest of the case.
“Drake’s new allegations are astonishing,” the music giant’s lawyer Rollin Ransom writes. “As Drake concedes, Lamar’s Super Bowl performance did not include the lyric that Drake or his associates are “certified pedophiles” (i.e., the alleged “Defamatory Material” that is at the heart of this case).”
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“The focus of Drake’s new claims — that ‘the largest audience for a Super Bowl halftime show ever’ did not hear Lamar call Drake or his crew pedophiles — betrays this case for what it is: Drake’s attack on the commercial and creative success of the rap artist who defeated him, rather than the content of Lamar’s lyrics,” Ransom added.
Lamar released “Not Like Us” last May amid a high-profile beef with Drake that saw the two UMG stars release a series of bruising diss tracks. The song, a knockout punch that blasted Drake as a “certified pedophile” over an infectious beat, eventually became a chart-topping hit in its own right.
In January, Drake took the unusual step of suing UMG over the song, claiming his own label had defamed him by boosting the track’s popularity. The lawsuit, which doesn’t name Lamar himself as a defendant, alleges that UMG “waged a campaign” against its own artist to spread a “malicious narrative” about pedophilia that it knew to be false.
UMG believes the case is clearly meritless – that “hyperbolic insults” and “vitriolic allegations” are par for the course in diss tracks and cannot form the basis for a libel lawsuit. The company has pointedly noted that Drake himself was happy to make such attacks, including accusing Lamar of domestic abuse, until he lost the battle.
During the halftime show, which took place weeks after Drake filed his case, Lamar omitted the word “pedophile.” But after much speculation over whether he’d play the song at all, Kendrick really didn’t hold back otherwise – making it the centerpiece of the set and clearly rapping similar lyrics, including: “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young.”
In his amended complaint last month, Drake’s attorneys argued that the decision to censor the word “pedophile” during the broadcast failed to avoid the song’s defamatory meaning – and instead had underscored the rapper’s legal case against UMG.
“Kendrick Lamar would not have been permitted to perform during the Super Bowl Performance unless the word ‘pedophile’… was omitted from the lyrics — that is because nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory to falsely brand someone a ‘certified pedophile’,” wrote Drake’s attorney Michael Gottlieb.
But in Wednesday’s motion to dismiss the case, UMG argued that Drake’s censorship argument was logically flawed.
“Drake contends that the decision not to include the word ‘pedophiles’ … could only reflect that the language is defamatory,” UMG’s lawyers write. “But this ignores any number of other explanations for the decision — such as threats by Drake of additional meritless litigation.”
Wednesday’s motion also highlighted that Drake had “removed obviously false factual allegations” from his original complaint, including that UMG directly paid for bots to boost streams of Kendrick’s track: “Drake is now reduced to citing a different podcast host who claimed that ‘Kendrick used bots’ [and] a now-deleted anonymous X comment accusing Lamar of ‘buying promo.’”
Drake’s lawyers will have a chance to respond to the motion to dismiss in the weeks ahead, and the judge will issue a ruling at some point in the next few months.
Smokey Robinson has denied shocking new claims of sexual assault, saying through his attorney that the “vile, false allegations” are merely “an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon.”
In a statement Wednesday (May 7), lawyer Christopher Frost says he will “fiercely defend” both Smokey Robinson and his wife, Frances, against the $50 million lawsuit claiming the R&B legend raped four different housekeepers over the course of nearly two decades.
“As this case progresses, the evidence (the crucial element that guides us) will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon — $50 million dollars, to be exact,” writes Frost.
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Frost says he plans to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit and address “numerous aspects of the complaint that defy credulity as well as issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies and relationships between the plaintiffs and others.”
The lawyers who brought the case did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.
The statement comes one day after Smokey and Frances Robinson were sued in Los Angeles state court by four of their former housekeepers. The employees, suing anonymously, say Smokey Robinson forced them to have oral and vaginal sex in his bedroom dozens of times between 2007 and 2024.
The housekeepers claim Frances shares blame because she did nothing to stop the alleged abuse, despite knowing that her husband had a history of sexual misconduct and that he’d previously struck settlements with assault victims.
The lawsuit also says the Robinsons paid their employees below minimum wage, and that Frances Robinson created a hostile work environment replete with screaming and “racially-charged epithets.”
The settlements cited in Tuesday’s lawsuit have not been previously reported, and there’s no apparent record of prior sexual assault lawsuits against Smokey Robinson. This means that, if legitimate, the deals were likely struck confidentially and outside of court.
But the legendary R&B singer and recording executive is no stranger to the courtroom. In 2023, Robinson testified at a federal jury trial over claims that he stiffed a former manager out of nearly $1 million.
The jurors largely sided with Robinson, finding that former manager Eric Podwall was not entitled to touring profits under his contract. Podwall won just $2,000 for an unpaid record advance after the more than six-year-long legal battle with Robinson.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have launched an official inquiry into the event ticketing business at the urging of President Donald Trump, the agencies announced Wednesday (May 7).
As part of the inquiry, “the agencies invite members of the public to submit comments and information on harmful practices and on potential regulation or legislation to protect consumers in the industry,” according to a press release. Anyone “impacted by anticompetitive practices in the live concert and entertainment industry” will have 60 days to submit comments to Regulations.gov, with the comment period concluding on July 7.
After the comment period closes, the agencies state they will “use the information in their preparation of the report and recommendations directed by President Trump” in his Executive Order 14254, also known as Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market. Signed by the president during a March 31 meeting in the Oval Office with musician Kid Rock in attendance, the order directed the Attorney General, along with the Secretary of the Treasury and the chairman of the FTC, to submit a report identifying “recommendations for regulations or legislation necessary to protect consumers” in the industry, including by enforcing the Better Online Tickets Sales (BOTS) Act.
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Passed in 2016, the BOTS Act gives both the DOJ and the FTC broad power to crack down on scalpers who illegally use automated technology to skirt the restrictions placed on high-demand ticket sales and prevents scalpers from buying up the best seats to flip for profit. Yet since its passage in 2016, the BOTS Act has only been used once to prosecute scalpers who knowingly break the rules put in place to make ticket buying fairer and more equitable.
“Competitive live entertainment markets should deliver value to artists and fans alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division in a statement. “We will continue to closely examine this market and look for opportunities where vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws can lead to increased competition that makes tickets more affordable for fans while offering fairer compensation for artists.”
Added FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson, “Many Americans feel like they are being priced out of live entertainment by scalpers, bots, and other unfair and deceptive practices. Now their voices are being heard. President Trump has sent a clear message that bad actors who exploit fans and distort the marketplace will not be tolerated. The FTC is proud to help deliver on that promise and restore fair and competitive markets that benefit ordinary Americans.”
The inquiry comes as several ticketing bills work their way through Congress, most notably the TICKET ACT, which passed the House of Representatives on April 29 and also includes language calling for the enforcement of BOTS Act.
“Illegal bot use runs rampant in the ticketing industry because the FTC has only brought one enforcement action since the use of bots was banned in 2016,” read a statement from Stephen Parker, executive director of National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), shortly after the April 29 passage of the TICKET ACT in the House. He added, “We hope Congress does not miss the opportunity to ensure these laws are actually enforced in the future.”
Growth in music and concert revenue pushed K-pop company SM Entertainment’s consolidated revenue to 231.4 billion KRW ($159 million), up 5.2% from the prior-year period. Operating profit of 32.6 billion KRW ($22 million) was up 109.6% while operating margin improved to 32.6% from 15.5%. SM’s concert revenue grew 58.0% to 39 billion KRW ($27 million) […]
Days after federal prosecutors dropped Lil Durk’s rap lyrics from his murder-for-hire case, his lawyers say the new “watered-down” charges support his push to be released from jail ahead of trial.
In a court filing Tuesday (May 6), attorneys for the Chicago drill star (Durk Banks) argue that last week’s superseding indictment — which removed not just Durk’s lyrics but also allegations that he ordered a “bounty” payment — has dramatically weakened the case against him.
By removing those elements of the case, Durk’s lawyers say the feds have “effectively conceded” that they presented “false and/or misleading information” in court — both to get the rapper charged in the first place, and to persuade the judge to deny bail.
“With the issues of the lyrics and the payout of a ‘bounty’ altogether abandoned, what remains of the indictment is a weak patchwork of unsupported and non-specific allegations against Mr. Banks,” writes defense attorney Drew Findling. “This watered-down new indictment, coupled with the robust bond package proposed here, tips the balance in favor of Mr. Banks’ release pending trial.”
Durk was arrested in October on murder-for-hire and gun charges over allegations that he ordered members of his Only the Family (OTF) crew to carry out a 2022 attack on rival rapper Quando Rondo that left another man dead.
To back up that claim, the indictment cited lyrics from a song called “Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy” in which Durk allegedly referenced the shooting: “Told me they got an addy (go, go)/ Got location (go, go)/ Green light (go, go, go, go, go),” Durk raps in the track. “Look on the news and see your son/You screamin’, ‘No, no’ (pu–y).”
But Durk’s lawyers sharply pushed back, arguing that “Wonderful Wayne” could not have referenced the Rondo shooting for a simple reason: That the rapper wrote and recorded those verses “seven months before the incident even happened.” Though prosecutors defended the inclusion of the lyrics, an updated version of the indictment released Thursday (May 1) removed them entirely.
In Tuesday’s new court filing, Findling says the lyrics were a “hotly contested” issue at a December hearing in which the judge denied to release him on bail. Now that they’ve been removed entirely, he says the judge must reconsider whether Durk can be released.
“The government absolutely intended that section to illustrate direct involvement in the alleged murder-for-hire and more importantly, the knowledge of Mr. Banks of the alleged offense through some sort of musical confession,” Findling says. “The government has now been proven wrong and has removed the reference, substantially depreciating the weight of the allegations.”
The removal of the bounty claim presents an “even greater” blow to the government’s case, Durk’s lawyers say, and should also help persuade the judge that bail can now be granted: “With the payment of the ‘bounty’ allegation withdrawn from the indictment, the foundation for this court’s conclusions has been materially undercut.”
In previous court filings, prosecutors denied that the removal of elements from the new indictment had weakened or substantially altered the case against Durk: “Just like every iteration of the indictment before it, the [new indictment] contains significant allegations that show defendant’s alleged role in the execution-style murder of [the victim] on a busy street corner in Los Angeles.”
The judge will decide whether to reconsider Durk’s bail in the weeks ahead, potentially holding a court hearing next month. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday (May 7).
Moby is currently matching donations to Los Angeles NPR affiliate KCRW, up to $10,000. The donation match began Tuesday (May 6) and extends through midnight on Wednesday.
“As we all know, public radio is in grave danger right now,” the electronic artist says in an ad currently airing on the station about this donation match. “If you care about KCRW; if you care about public radio and about free access to music and information, this is a very important moment to act.”
This special effort happens amid KCRW’s annual spring pledge drive, which this year has been titled “Mission Critical” due to an executive order signed last week by President Trump that directed the board of directors at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to “cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” the nation’s primary public broadcasters. The order was made on the claim of ideological bias by NPR and PBS.
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As reported by Billboard last week, this move follows a pattern of Trump leveraging executive powers to defund or dismantle institutions he deems oppositional, including cultural and educational organizations like the Kennedy Center and National Endowment for the Humanities. The legality of Trump’s order is in question, however, as CPB is a private nonprofit entity and not a federal agency.
In any case, KCRW’s chief development officer Jill Smayo tells Billboard that “the funding for public media, both NPR and PBS, is in flux right now… We’re not exactly sure what’s going to happen at this point. It’s evolving. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is investigating more what this truly means and what will come of this, but what is at stake for KCRW specifically is $1.3 million dollars annually that we receive from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.”
Such “challenge grants” like Moby’s current $10,00 offer are a common element of KCRW pledge drives, with various public figures, often musicians, actors and other artists, making the offer in order to incentivize donations. As part of Moby’s offer, one person who donates will win tickets to performances he’s doing as part of the Cercle Odyssey tour in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, May 9. The musician also relaunched his MobyGratis sound library, which offers creators high-quality, royalty free music to use in projects.
“We’re very grateful for his belief that KCRW is a treasure for the curious and the artistic and worthy of supporting,” says Smayo. The Mission Critical spring pledge drive extends through May.