If you're a fan of Jessica Simpson or Ricky Martin and you live in California, you can expect to pick up a couple of their CDs for cheap-cheap at the end of summer when libraries will have their 50-cent bin sales. Cuz they can't wait to dump on you what's just been dumped on them.
As part of a class-action lawsuit settlement with music companies for price-fixing, nearly 700,000 junk CDs are being shipped out to California public schools and libraries. Many library officials are claiming that the record companies are cleaning out their warehouses and are unloading large quantities of CDs in order to satisfy the legal obligation.
California schools and libraries are expected to receive $9 million worth of CDs but each is valued at an over-inflated price of $13.50. "Most of the CDs we're getting wouldn't sell for $1," one representative said. "I think the state of California just got ripped off by about $8 million dollars.", One librarian, Steve Sloan, wryly observed that his library's shipment included 16 copies each of Martin's Sound Loaded and Everclear's Songs From an American Movie, Vol. Two, 14 copies of Simpson's Irresistible and 9 copies of Christina Aguilera's 2000 Christmas album. "It's like what you'd see if you walked into a used-CD store and went to the dollar bin. It seems like the record companies are going through their warehouses and donating what won't sell."
Sloan was particularly puzzled by the 16 copies of albums by Samantha Mumba and Mark Wills that he's scheduled to receive. "I buy do all the CDs for the library and I've never heard of these singers," he said and added, "We already have 3 copies of the Ricky Martin album. Do we really need to have 19 now?"
This type of dumping of low quality CDs on educational institutions has happened before. One school district in Washington received 1,300 copies of Whitney Houston's recording of the "Star-Spangled Banner" last year.
California is trying to ensure that libraries aren't flooded with obscure albums or a mass of duplicates by requiring that all pop albums must have spent at least 26 weeks on the Billboard chart in 2003. But don't be impressed. It translates into a ton of CDs by Oleander, 98 Degrees and Eagle-Eye Cherry.
Another library official was rolling his eyes at his district's big catch: "With 405 copies of Ricky Martin, now we'll have plenty to go around." (Sarcasm noted.)
Story from mtv.com.
One librarian, Steve Sloan, wryly observed that his library's shipment included 16 copies each of Martin's Sound Loaded and Everclear's Songs From an American Movie, Vol. Two, 14 copies of Simpson's Irresistible and 9 copies of Christina Aguilera's 2000 Christmas album. "It's like what you'd see if you walked into a used-CD store and went to the dollar bin. It seems like the record companies are going through their warehouses and donating what won't sell."
Sloan was particularly puzzled by the 16 copies of albums by Samantha Mumba and Mark Wills that he's scheduled to receive. "I buy do all the CDs for the library and I've never heard of these singers," he said and added, "We already have 3 copies of the Ricky Martin album. Do we really need to have 19 now?"
This type of dumping of low quality CDs on educational institutions has happened before. One school district in Washington received 1,300 copies of Whitney Houston's recording of the "Star-Spangled Banner" last year.
California is trying to ensure that libraries aren't flooded with obscure albums or a mass of duplicates by requiring that all pop albums must have spent at least 26 weeks on the Billboard chart in 2003. But don't be impressed. It translates into a ton of CDs by Oleander, 98 Degrees and Eagle-Eye Cherry.
Another library official was rolling his eyes at his district's big catch: "With 405 copies of Ricky Martin, now we'll have plenty to go around." (Sarcasm noted.)
Story from mtv.com.
