In the wake of a Tuesday royalty payment deal regarding interactive music streaming, the Songwriters Guild of America (SGA) partnered Wednesday with several leading technology and entertainment companies for a coalition that intends to educate consumers about how to best access legally provided content on the Internet.
SGA will work with AT&T, Viacom, NBC Universal, Cisco, and Microsoft for Arts+Labs, an organization that will be co-chaired by Mike McCurry, former White House press secretary under President Clinton, and Mark McKinnon, who served as chief media advisor to President Bush and John McCain.
The Internet is an “indispensable element in the life of every American … but it's a fragile network of networks, and it needs some care and attention and investment and enhancement," McCurry said. “The companies coming together … in this collaboration are all about making sure that the content that people want continues to arrive in a safe, reliable, fast manner."
“It's been rare that these kinds of organizations and companies have sat down at a common table and addressed things together," according to McCurry.
“We're not endorsing any [technology] models but we're just encouraging that collaboration," McKinnon said.
The organization's Web site currently touts partner Web sites like Hulu, a video Web site produced by NBC Universal and News Corp., as well as Viacom's Comedy Central site, but also puts the spotlight on non-member sites like Netflix, Comcast's Fancast, Joost, and Veoh Networks.
SGA will work with AT&T, Viacom, NBC Universal, Cisco, and Microsoft for Arts+Labs, an organization that will be co-chaired by Mike McCurry, former White House press secretary under President Clinton, and Mark McKinnon, who served as chief media advisor to President Bush and John McCain.
The Internet is an “indispensable element in the life of every American … but it's a fragile network of networks, and it needs some care and attention and investment and enhancement," McCurry said. “The companies coming together … in this collaboration are all about making sure that the content that people want continues to arrive in a safe, reliable, fast manner."
“It's been rare that these kinds of organizations and companies have sat down at a common table and addressed things together," according to McCurry.
“We're not endorsing any [technology] models but we're just encouraging that collaboration," McKinnon said.
The organization's Web site currently touts partner Web sites like Hulu, a video Web site produced by NBC Universal and News Corp., as well as Viacom's Comedy Central site, but also puts the spotlight on non-member sites like Netflix, Comcast's Fancast, Joost, and Veoh Networks.
