October 10, 2008

By By Jen Wilson, London

Feargal Sharkey, CEO of recently formed U.K. lobbying group U.K. Music has been confirmed as keynote speaker for the first of four Think Tank sessions on digital issues at the MCPS-PRS Alliance's central London headquarters.

The initial event, which is being held Oct. 21, is entitled "Here We Are Now, Entertain Us" and, according to Music Tank, will "take a long hard look at what music consumers actually want and how this tallies with the status quo and raft of new services in various stages of development or launch."

The session also features Paul Hitchman, Managing Director of PlayLouder; Andrew Orlowski of U.K. IT publication The Register; and Keith Jopling, former Director of Strategic Research at U.K. trade body the IFPI, who will also deliver a short keynote. Final panellists will be announced next week.

The remaining Think Tanks will be held on Nov. 4 ("We Have The Technology, What's The Solution?"), Nov. 18 ("Coalition of the Billing") and Dec. 2 ("Squaring The Circle").

Think Tank -- run by U.K. business development network MusicTank -- aims to find positive solutions to the current problems facing the music market.

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