Recording industry finally getting organized

Major record labels announced Friday that they are going to clean up the music industry’s bad image by forming a task force that will monitor marketing guidelines in selling violent and lewd lyrics to children. This comes after a blistering report last month by the Federal Trade Commission that reprimanded the music industry and its failure to stop the marketing of such materials, as it had promised to do in the wake of the shootings at the Columbine High School. The task force will ensure that the labels are visible in all print ads; that online retailers prominently display these warnings throughout the transaction process; and that online retailers are linked to the Parental Advisory Program Web site (http://www.parentalguide.org). “The Recording Industry Association of America will continue to stand on principle against unconstitutional legislation and forced changes to the Parental Advisory Program that would jeopardize the rights or artists to express themselves freely,” Hilary Rosen, president and chief executive officer of the RIAA, told Reuters.