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Billboard (magazine)

January 06, 2023

Billboard (stylized as billboard) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music industry. Its music charts include the Hot 100, the 200, and the Global 200, tracking the most popular albums and songs in different genres of music. It also hosts events, owns a publishing firm, and operates several TV shows.

Billboard
November 16, 2019, cover featuring Paul McCartney and highlighting the magazine's 125th anniversary
EditorHannah Karp
Former editorsLee Zhito, Tony Gervino, Bill Werde, Tamara Conniff
CategoriesEntertainment
FrequencyWeekly
PublisherLynne Segall
Total circulation17,000 magazines per week
15.2 million unique visitors per month[1]
Founder
  • William Donaldson
  • James Hennegan
FoundedNovember 1, 1894; 128 years ago (1894-11-01) (as Billboard Advertising)
CompanyEldridge Industries
CountryUnited States
Based inNew York City
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.billboard.com
ISSN0006-2510

Billboard was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters. Donaldson later acquired Hennegan's interest in 1900 for $500. In the early years of the 20th century, it covered the entertainment industry, such as circuses, fairs, and burlesque shows, and also created a mail service for travelling entertainers. Billboard began focusing more on the music industry as the jukebox, phonograph, and radio became commonplace. Many topics it covered were spun-off into different magazines, including Amusement Business in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment, so that it could focus on music. After Donaldson died in 1925, Billboard was passed down to his children and Hennegan's children, until it was sold to private investors in 1985, and has since been owned by various parties.

History

Early history

 
First issue of Billboard (1894)

The first issue of Billboard was published in Cincinnati, Ohio, by William Donaldson and James Hennegan on November 1, 1894.[2][3] Initially, it covered the advertising and bill posting industry,[4] and was known as Billboard Advertising.[5][6][a] At the time, billboards, posters, and paper advertisements placed in public spaces were the primary means of advertising.[6] Donaldson handled editorial and advertising, while Hennegan, who owned Hennegan Printing Co., managed magazine production. The first issues were just eight pages long.[7] The paper had columns like "The Bill Room Gossip" and "The Indefatigable and Tireless Industry of the Bill Poster".[2] A department for agricultural fairs was established in 1896.[8] The Billboard Advertising publication was renamed The Billboard in 1897.[9]

After a brief departure over editorial differences, Donaldson purchased Hennegan's interest in the business in 1900 for $500 (equal to $13,700 today) to save it from bankruptcy.[7][10] On May 5, Donaldson changed it from a monthly to a weekly paper with a greater emphasis on breaking news. He improved editorial quality and opened new offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, London, and Paris,[9][10] and also re-focused the magazine on outdoor entertainment such as fairs, carnivals, circuses, vaudeville, and burlesque shows.[2][9] A section devoted to circuses was introduced in 1900, followed by more prominent coverage of outdoor events in 1901.[8] Billboard also covered topics including regulation, a lack of professionalism, economics, and new shows. It had a "stage gossip" column covering the private lives of entertainers, a "tent show" section covering traveling shows, and a sub-section called "Freaks to order".[2] According to The Seattle Times, Donaldson also published news articles "attacking censorship, praising productions exhibiting 'good taste' and fighting yellow journalism".[11]

As railroads became more developed, Billboard set up a mail forwarding system for traveling entertainers. The location of an entertainer was tracked in the paper's Routes Ahead column, then Billboard would receive mail on the star's behalf and publish a notice in its "Letter-Box" column that it had mail for them.[2] This service was first introduced in 1904, and became one of Billboard's largest sources of profit[11] and celebrity connections.[2] By 1914, there were 42,000 people using the service.[7] It was also used as the official address of traveling entertainers for draft letters during World War I.[12] In the 1960s, when it was discontinued, Billboard was still processing 1,500 letters per week.[11]

In 1920, Donaldson made a controversial move by hiring African-American journalist James Albert Jackson to write a weekly column devoted to African-American performers.[2] According to The Business of Culture: Strategic Perspectives on Entertainment and Media, the column identified discrimination against black performers and helped validate their careers.[2] Jackson was the first black critic at a national magazine with a predominantly white audience. According to his grandson, Donaldson also established a policy against identifying performers by their race.[11] Donaldson died in 1925.[2]

Focus on music

Billboard's editorial changed focus as technology in recording and playback developed, covering "marvels of modern technology" such as the phonograph and wireless radios.[2] It began covering coin-operated entertainment machines in 1899, and created a dedicated section for them called "Amusement Machines" in March 1932.[10] Billboard began covering the motion picture industry in 1907,[8] but ended up focusing on music due to competition from Variety.[13] It created a radio broadcasting station in the 1920s.[9]

The jukebox industry continued to grow through the Great Depression, and was advertised heavily in Billboard,[9]: 262  which led to even more editorial focus on music.[9] The proliferation of the phonograph and radio also contributed to its growing music emphasis.[9] Billboard published the first music hit parade on January 4, 1936,[14] and introduced a "Record Buying Guide" in January 1939.[10] In 1940, it introduced "Chart Line", which tracked the best-selling records, and was followed by a chart for jukebox records in 1944 called Music Box Machine charts.[9][10] By the 1940s, Billboard was more of a music industry specialist publication.[5] The number of charts it published grew after World War II, due to a growing variety of music interests and genres. It had eight charts by 1987, covering different genres and formats,[10] and 28 charts by 1994.[11]

By 1943, Billboard had about 100 employees.[8] The magazine's offices moved to Brighton, Ohio, in 1946, then to New York City in 1948.[11] A five-column tabloid format was adopted in November 1950 and coated paper was first used in Billboard's print issues in January 1963, allowing for photojournalism.[10] Sometime prior to September 1960, the name had been changed to The Billboard.[15]

Billboard Publications Inc. acquired a monthly trade magazine for candy and cigarette machine vendors called Vend, and, in the 1950s, acquired an advertising trade publication called Tide.[9] By 1969, Billboard Publications Inc. owned eleven trade and consumer publications, a publisher called Watson-Guptill Publications, a set of self-study cassette tapes, and four television franchises. It also acquired Photo Weekly that year.[9]

Over time, subjects that Billboard still covered outside of music were spun-off into separate publications: Funspot magazine was created in 1957 to cover amusement parks, and Amusement Business was created in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment. In January 1961, Billboard was renamed as Billboard Music Week[6][9] to emphasize its newly exclusive interest in music.[13] Two years later, it was renamed to just Billboard.[9][10] According to The New Business Journalism, by 1984, Billboard Publications was a "prosperous" conglomerate of trade magazines, and Billboard had become the "undisputed leader" in music industry news.[5] In the early 1990s, Billboard introduced Billboard Airplay Monitors, a publication for disc jockeys and music programmers.[6] By the end of the 1990s, Billboard dubbed itself the "bible" of the recording industry.[6]

Changes in ownership

Billboard struggled after its founder William Donaldson died in 1925, and, within three years, was once again heading towards bankruptcy.[9] Donaldson's son-in-law Roger Littleford took over in 1928 and "nursed the publication back to health".[9][12] His sons Bill and Roger became co-publishers in 1946[12] and inherited the publication in the late 1970s after Roger Littleford's death.[9] They sold it to private investors in 1985 for an estimated $40 million.[16] The investors cut costs and acquired a trade publication for the Broadway theatre industry called Backstage.[9]

In 1987, Billboard was sold again to Affiliated Publications for $100 million.[16] Billboard Publications Inc. became a subsidiary of Affiliated Publications called BPI Communications.[9] As BPI Communications, it acquired The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, Marketing Week, and Mediaweek, and also purchased Broadcast Data Systems, a high-tech firm for tracking music airtime.[9] Private investors from Boston Ventures and BPI executives re-purchased a two-thirds interest in Billboard Publications for $100 million, and more acquisitions followed. In 1993, it created a division known as Billboard Music Group for music-related publications.[9]

In 1994, Billboard Publications was sold to Dutch media conglomerate Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen (VNU) for $220 million.[17][b] VNU acquired the Clio Awards in advertising and the National Research Group in 1997, as well as Editor & Publisher in 1999. In July 2000, it paid $650 million for the publisher Miller Freeman. BPI was combined with other entities in VNU in 2000 to form Bill Communications Inc. By the time CEO Gerald Hobbs retired in 2003, VNU had grown substantially larger, but had a large amount of debt from the acquisitions. An attempted $7 billion acquisition of IMS Health in 2005 prompted protests from shareholders that halted the deal; it eventually agreed to an $11 billion takeover bid from investors in 2006.[9]

VNU then changed its name to Nielsen in 2007, the namesake of a company it acquired for $2.5 billion in 1999.[19][20] New CEO Robert Krakoff divested some of the previously owned publications, restructured the organization, and planned some acquisitions before dying suddenly in 2007; he was subsequently replaced by Greg Farrar.[9]

Nielsen owned Billboard until 2009, when it was one of eight publications sold to e5 Global Media Holdings. e5 was formed by investment firms Pluribus Capital Management and Guggenheim Partners for the purpose of the acquisition.[21][22] The following year, the new parent company was renamed as Prometheus Global Media.[23] Three years later, Guggenheim Partners acquired Pluribus' share of Prometheus and became the sole owner of Billboard.[24][25]

In December 2015, Guggenheim Digital Media spun out several media brands, including Billboard, to its own executive Todd Boehly.[26][27] The assets operate under the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, a unit of the holding company Eldridge Industries.[28]

1990s–present

Timothy White was appointed editor-in-chief in 1991, a position he held until his unexpected death in 2002. White wrote a weekly column promoting music with "artistic merit", while criticizing music with violent or misogynistic themes,[29] and also reworked the publication's music charts.[29] Rather than relying on data from music retailers, new charts used data from store checkout scanners obtained from Nielsen SoundScan.[9] White also wrote in-depth profiles on musicians,[30] but was replaced by Keith Girard, who was subsequently fired in May 2004. He and a female employee filed a $29 million lawsuit alleging that Billboard fired them unfairly with an intent to damage their reputations.[31] The lawsuit claimed that they experienced sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, and a financially motivated lack of editorial integrity.[31][32] Email evidence suggested that human resources were given special instructions to watch minority employees.[32] The case was settled out-of-court in 2006 for a non-disclosed sum.[33]

In the 2000s, economic decline in the music industry dramatically reduced readership and advertising from Billboard's traditional audience.[31][34] Circulation declined from 40,000 in circulation in the 1990s to less than 17,000 by 2014.[33] The publication's staff and ownership were also undergoing frequent changes.[32]

In 2004, Tamara Conniff became the first female and youngest-ever executive editor at Billboard, and led its first major redesign since the 1960s, by Daniel Stark and Stark Design. During her tenure, Billboard newsstand sales jumped 10%, ad pages climbed 22%, and conference registrations rose 76%.[35] In 2005, Billboard expanded its editorial outside the music industry into other areas of digital and mobile entertainment. In 2006, after leading Billboard's radio publication, former ABC News and CNN journalist, Scott McKenzie, was named editorial director across all Billboard properties.[36] Conniff launched the Billboard Women in Music event in 2007.[37][38][39][40]

Bill Werde was named editorial director in 2008,[41] and was followed by Janice Min in January 2014, also responsible for editorial content at The Hollywood Reporter.[41] The magazine has since been making changes to make it more of a general interest music news source as opposed to solely an industry trade, branching out into covering more celebrity, fashion, and gossip.[33][34][42] Min hired Tony Gervino as the publication's editor, which was unusual, in that he did not have a background in the music industry.[42] Tony Gervino was appointed editor-in-chief in April 2014.[43] An item on NPR covered a leaked version of Billboard's annual survey, which it said had more gossip and focused on less professional topics than prior surveys. For example, it polled readers on a lawsuit that singer Kesha filed against her producer alleging sexual abuse.[33]

Gervino was let go in May 2016. A note from Min to the editorial staff indicated that Senior Vice President of Digital Content Mike Bruno would serve as the head of editorial moving forward.[44] On June 15, 2016, BillboardPH, the first Billboard chart company in Southeast Asia, mainly in the Philippines, was announced.[45] On September 12, 2016, Billboard expanded into China by launching Billboard China in a partnership with Vision Music Ltd.[46]

On September 23, 2020, it was announced that Penske Media Corporation would assume operations of the MRC Media & Info publications under a joint venture with MRC known as PMRC. The joint venture includes management of Billboard.[47]

News publishing

Billboard publishes a news website and weekly trade magazine that cover music, video and home entertainment. Most of the articles are written by staff writers, while some are written by industry experts.[10] It covers news, gossip, opinion,[2] and music reviews, but its "most enduring and influential creation" is the Billboard charts.[6] The charts track music sales, radio airtime and other data about the most popular songs and albums.[6] The Billboard Hot 100 chart of the top-selling songs was introduced in 1958. Since then, the Billboard 200, which tracks the top-selling albums, has become more popular as an indicator of commercial success.[2] Billboard has also published books in collaboration with Watson-Guptill and a radio and television series called American Top 40, based on Billboard charts.[10] A daily Billboard Bulletin was introduced in February 1997[6] and Billboard hosts about 20 industry events each year.[1]

Billboard is considered one of the most reputable sources of music industry news.[11][34] The website includes the Billboard Charts, news separated by music genre, videos, and a separate website. It also compiles lists, hosts a fashion website called Pret-a-Reporter, and publishes eight different newsletters. The print magazine's regular sections include:[1]

  • Hot 100: A chart of the top 100 most popular songs of the week
  • Topline: News from the week
  • The Beat: Hitmaker interviews, gossip and trends in the music industry
  • Style: Fashion and accessories
  • Features: In-depth interviews, profiles and photography
  • Reviews: Reviews of new albums and songs
  • Backstage pass: information about events and concerts
  • Charts and CODA: More information about current and historical Billboard Charts

Listicles

Billboard is known for publishing several annual listicles on its website, in recognition of the most influential executives, artists and companies in the music industry, such as the following:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Some sources say it was called The Billboard Advertiser[2]
  2. ^ 19 publications according to the Chicago Tribune[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c (PDF). Billboard. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Anand, N. (2006). "Charting the Music Business: Magazine and the Development of the Commercial Music Field". In Lampel, Joseph; Shamsie, Jamal; Lant, Theresa (eds.). The Business of Culture: Strategic Perspectives on Entertainment and Media. Series in Organization and Management. Taylor & Francis. p. 140. ISBN 978-1-135-60923-8. from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  3. ^ Broven, J. (2009). Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers. Music in American life. University of Illinois Press. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-252-03290-5. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  4. ^ Trust, Gary (November 1, 2021). "The First Billboard: All That Was 'New, Bright and Interesting on the Boards'". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Gussow., Don (1984). The New Business of Journalism: An Insider's Look at the Workings of America's Business Press. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-0-15-165202-0.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Godfrey, Donald G.; Leigh, Frederic A. (1998). Historical Dictionary of American Radio. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-313-29636-9.
  7. ^ a b c . Amusement Business. November 1, 1994. Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d Writers' Program of the Works Projects Administration in the State of Ohio (1943). Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors. Best Books. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-62376-051-9. from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Dinger, Ed. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. International Directory of Company Histories. Vol. 98. pp. 260–265.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hoffmann, Frank (2004). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. Taylor & Francis. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-135-94950-1. from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Radel, Cliff (November 3, 1994). "Entertainment & the Arts: Billboard Celebrates 100 Years Of Hits". The Seattle Times. from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  12. ^ a b c "New Boss for Billboard". Newsweek. April 4, 1949. pp. 57–58.
  13. ^ a b Bloom, K. (2013). Broadway: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-135-95020-0. from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  14. ^ Sale, Jonathan (January 4, 1996). "Sixty years of hits, from Sinatra to ... Sinatra". The Independent. from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  15. ^ "The Billboard" (PDF). The Billboard. Vol. 72, no. 38. New York City. September 19, 1960. pp. 1–96, see in particular p. 1 Cover and p. 2 Imprint/Masthead. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Jackson, K.T.; Keller, L.; Flood, N. (2010). The Encyclopedia of New York City: Second Edition. Yale University Press. p. 638. ISBN 978-0-300-18257-6. from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  17. ^ "Dutch Buyer Acquires BPI". The New York Times. January 15, 1994. from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  18. ^ . Chicago Tribune. January 17, 1994. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  19. ^ "VNU to Buy Nielsen Media In Deal Valued at $2.5 Billion". The Wall Street Journal. August 17, 1999. from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  20. ^ Deliso, Meredith (January 18, 2007). "VNU Changes Name to the Nielsen Co". Advertising Age. from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  21. ^ Ives, Nat (December 10, 2009). "Adweek Group Among Titles Sold to e5 Global Media Holdings". Advertising Age. from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  22. ^ "Hollywood Reporter, Billboard sold". Los Angeles Times. December 10, 2009. from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  23. ^ "What's in a Name?". Folio. October 15, 2010. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  24. ^ Steel, Emily (January 15, 2013). "Former Yahoo chief moves to Guggenheim". Financial Times. from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  25. ^ "Yahoo Exec Tapped To Head Prometheus Global Media". Folio. January 15, 2013. from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  26. ^ "Guggenheim Prepares To Sell Hollywood Reporter, Dick Clark Productions To Exec". Deadline.com. December 17, 2015. from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  27. ^ "Guggenheim Media Spins Off Money-Losing Hollywood Reporter, Billboard to Company President Todd Boehly (Exclusive)". The Wrap. December 17, 2015. from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  28. ^ "Dodgers' Boehly Leads $100 Million DraftKings Investment". Bloomberg.com. March 9, 2017. from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  29. ^ a b "Timothy White, 50; Editor Revolutionized Billboard Magazine". Los Angeles Times. June 28, 2002. from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  30. ^ Pareles, Jon (July 1, 2002). "Timothy White, 50, Billboard Editor in Chief". The New York Times. from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  31. ^ a b c Jurkowitz, Mark (August 12, 2004). "Lawsuit is latest in list of tough hits for Billboard". Boston Globe. from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  32. ^ a b c Grinberg, Emanuella (April 6, 2005). "New motion details racial profiling claims against Billboard magazine". CNN. from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  33. ^ a b c d Tsioulcas, Anastasia (August 23, 2015). "Why Is 'Billboard' Asking Industry Execs If They Believe Kesha?". NPR. from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  34. ^ a b c Sisario, Ben (January 8, 2014). "Leadership Change May Signal New Start for Billboard Magazine". The New York Times. from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  35. ^ Flamm, Matthew (January 2006). "Tamara Conniff, 33". 40 Under 40. Crain's New York Business. from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  36. ^ "Billboard Promotes Key Editors". Billboard. January 13, 2006. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020.
  37. ^ "Reba Named Woman Of The Year". CBS News. AP. September 14, 2007. from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  38. ^ "Top Music Exec joins WorldMusicLink". PRLOG (Press release). February 18, 2011. from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  39. ^ "Billboard chooses Reba McEntire as its first 'Woman of the Year'". The Orange County Register. September 14, 2007. from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  40. ^ "McEntire Named Billboard's Woman Of The Year". Billboard. September 17, 2007. from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  41. ^ a b Lewis, Randy (January 9, 2014). "Billboard Shakeup puts Hollywood Reporter's Janice Min in Charge". Los Angeles Times. from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  42. ^ a b Sisario, Ben (April 7, 2014). "Billboard Names Tony Gervino as Editor". The New York Times. from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  43. ^ Steigrad, Alexandra (April 7, 2014). "Billboard Names Tony Gervino Editor in Chief". Women's Wear Daily. from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  44. ^ "Billboard EIC Tony Gervino Exits on a High Note". www.adweek.com. from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  45. ^ "Billboard Partners with AlgoRhythm to Launch Billboard Philippines". Billboard. June 15, 2016. from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  46. ^ Havens, Lyndsey (September 12, 2016). "Billboard Launches in China". Billboard. from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  47. ^ Ellefson, Lindsey (September 23, 2020). "Variety Parent Penske Media to Take Over Hollywood Reporter, Billboard in Joint Venture With MRC". TheWrap. from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  48. ^ "21 Under 21 2017: Music's Next Generation". Billboard. from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  49. ^ "40 Under 40: Music's Top Young Power Players Revealed". Billboard. from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  50. ^ "Revealed: Billboard's 2019 Women In Music Top Executives". Billboard Magazine. December 12, 2019. from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  51. ^ "Billboard Launches Inaugural 'Billboard Dance 100' Ranking of Top Dance Music Artists". Billboard. from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  52. ^ "Billboard's 2017 Power 100 List Revealed". Billboard. from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  53. ^ "Billboard Dance Power Players 2018: The Managers, Live Leaders & Tastemakers Shaping the Genre". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  54. ^ "Revealed: Billboard's 2017 Digital Power Players, Guiding the Future in Music and Tech". Billboard. from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  55. ^ "Hip-Hop Power Players 2017: The Heat Seekers". Billboard. from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  56. ^ "Revealed: Billboard's 2017 Indie Power Players, Led by Big Machine's Scott Borchetta". Billboard. from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  57. ^ "Latin Power Players 2017 List Revealed". Billboard. from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2017.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Billboard (magazine).
  • Official website  

Archives

  • Billboard Archive on Google Books
  • 1940–2010 archived online by Google Books
  • Charts since 1958, articles since 2001, reviews 2008-2016 December 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine archived online by Billboard
  • World Radio History (1920–2014). Incomplete.

January 06, 2023
billboard, magazine, billboard, stylized, billboard, american, music, entertainment, magazine, published, weekly, penske, media, corporation, magazine, provides, music, charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, style, related, music, industry, music, char. Billboard stylized as billboard is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation The magazine provides music charts news video opinion reviews events and style related to the music industry Its music charts include the Hot 100 the 200 and the Global 200 tracking the most popular albums and songs in different genres of music It also hosts events owns a publishing firm and operates several TV shows BillboardNovember 16 2019 cover featuring Paul McCartney and highlighting the magazine s 125th anniversaryEditorHannah KarpFormer editorsLee Zhito Tony Gervino Bill Werde Tamara ConniffCategoriesEntertainmentFrequencyWeeklyPublisherLynne SegallTotal circulation17 000 magazines per week15 2 million unique visitors per month 1 FounderWilliam DonaldsonJames HenneganFoundedNovember 1 1894 128 years ago 1894 11 01 as Billboard Advertising CompanyEldridge IndustriesCountryUnited StatesBased inNew York CityLanguageEnglishWebsitewww wbr billboard wbr comISSN0006 2510Billboard was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters Donaldson later acquired Hennegan s interest in 1900 for 500 In the early years of the 20th century it covered the entertainment industry such as circuses fairs and burlesque shows and also created a mail service for travelling entertainers Billboard began focusing more on the music industry as the jukebox phonograph and radio became commonplace Many topics it covered were spun off into different magazines including Amusement Business in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment so that it could focus on music After Donaldson died in 1925 Billboard was passed down to his children and Hennegan s children until it was sold to private investors in 1985 and has since been owned by various parties Contents 1 History 1 1 Early history 1 2 Focus on music 1 3 Changes in ownership 1 4 1990s present 2 News publishing 3 Listicles 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links 7 1 ArchivesHistory EditEarly history Edit First issue of Billboard 1894 The first issue of Billboard was published in Cincinnati Ohio by William Donaldson and James Hennegan on November 1 1894 2 3 Initially it covered the advertising and bill posting industry 4 and was known as Billboard Advertising 5 6 a At the time billboards posters and paper advertisements placed in public spaces were the primary means of advertising 6 Donaldson handled editorial and advertising while Hennegan who owned Hennegan Printing Co managed magazine production The first issues were just eight pages long 7 The paper had columns like The Bill Room Gossip and The Indefatigable and Tireless Industry of the Bill Poster 2 A department for agricultural fairs was established in 1896 8 The Billboard Advertising publication was renamed The Billboard in 1897 9 After a brief departure over editorial differences Donaldson purchased Hennegan s interest in the business in 1900 for 500 equal to 13 700 today to save it from bankruptcy 7 10 On May 5 Donaldson changed it from a monthly to a weekly paper with a greater emphasis on breaking news He improved editorial quality and opened new offices in New York Chicago San Francisco London and Paris 9 10 and also re focused the magazine on outdoor entertainment such as fairs carnivals circuses vaudeville and burlesque shows 2 9 A section devoted to circuses was introduced in 1900 followed by more prominent coverage of outdoor events in 1901 8 Billboard also covered topics including regulation a lack of professionalism economics and new shows It had a stage gossip column covering the private lives of entertainers a tent show section covering traveling shows and a sub section called Freaks to order 2 According to The Seattle Times Donaldson also published news articles attacking censorship praising productions exhibiting good taste and fighting yellow journalism 11 As railroads became more developed Billboard set up a mail forwarding system for traveling entertainers The location of an entertainer was tracked in the paper s Routes Ahead column then Billboard would receive mail on the star s behalf and publish a notice in its Letter Box column that it had mail for them 2 This service was first introduced in 1904 and became one of Billboard s largest sources of profit 11 and celebrity connections 2 By 1914 there were 42 000 people using the service 7 It was also used as the official address of traveling entertainers for draft letters during World War I 12 In the 1960s when it was discontinued Billboard was still processing 1 500 letters per week 11 In 1920 Donaldson made a controversial move by hiring African American journalist James Albert Jackson to write a weekly column devoted to African American performers 2 According to The Business of Culture Strategic Perspectives on Entertainment and Media the column identified discrimination against black performers and helped validate their careers 2 Jackson was the first black critic at a national magazine with a predominantly white audience According to his grandson Donaldson also established a policy against identifying performers by their race 11 Donaldson died in 1925 2 Focus on music Edit Billboard s editorial changed focus as technology in recording and playback developed covering marvels of modern technology such as the phonograph and wireless radios 2 It began covering coin operated entertainment machines in 1899 and created a dedicated section for them called Amusement Machines in March 1932 10 Billboard began covering the motion picture industry in 1907 8 but ended up focusing on music due to competition from Variety 13 It created a radio broadcasting station in the 1920s 9 The jukebox industry continued to grow through the Great Depression and was advertised heavily in Billboard 9 262 which led to even more editorial focus on music 9 The proliferation of the phonograph and radio also contributed to its growing music emphasis 9 Billboard published the first music hit parade on January 4 1936 14 and introduced a Record Buying Guide in January 1939 10 In 1940 it introduced Chart Line which tracked the best selling records and was followed by a chart for jukebox records in 1944 called Music Box Machine charts 9 10 By the 1940s Billboard was more of a music industry specialist publication 5 The number of charts it published grew after World War II due to a growing variety of music interests and genres It had eight charts by 1987 covering different genres and formats 10 and 28 charts by 1994 11 By 1943 Billboard had about 100 employees 8 The magazine s offices moved to Brighton Ohio in 1946 then to New York City in 1948 11 A five column tabloid format was adopted in November 1950 and coated paper was first used in Billboard s print issues in January 1963 allowing for photojournalism 10 Sometime prior to September 1960 the name had been changed to The Billboard 15 Billboard Publications Inc acquired a monthly trade magazine for candy and cigarette machine vendors called Vend and in the 1950s acquired an advertising trade publication called Tide 9 By 1969 Billboard Publications Inc owned eleven trade and consumer publications a publisher called Watson Guptill Publications a set of self study cassette tapes and four television franchises It also acquired Photo Weekly that year 9 Over time subjects that Billboard still covered outside of music were spun off into separate publications Funspot magazine was created in 1957 to cover amusement parks and Amusement Business was created in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment In January 1961 Billboard was renamed as Billboard Music Week 6 9 to emphasize its newly exclusive interest in music 13 Two years later it was renamed to just Billboard 9 10 According to The New Business Journalism by 1984 Billboard Publications was a prosperous conglomerate of trade magazines and Billboard had become the undisputed leader in music industry news 5 In the early 1990s Billboard introduced Billboard Airplay Monitors a publication for disc jockeys and music programmers 6 By the end of the 1990s Billboard dubbed itself the bible of the recording industry 6 Changes in ownership Edit Billboard struggled after its founder William Donaldson died in 1925 and within three years was once again heading towards bankruptcy 9 Donaldson s son in law Roger Littleford took over in 1928 and nursed the publication back to health 9 12 His sons Bill and Roger became co publishers in 1946 12 and inherited the publication in the late 1970s after Roger Littleford s death 9 They sold it to private investors in 1985 for an estimated 40 million 16 The investors cut costs and acquired a trade publication for the Broadway theatre industry called Backstage 9 In 1987 Billboard was sold again to Affiliated Publications for 100 million 16 Billboard Publications Inc became a subsidiary of Affiliated Publications called BPI Communications 9 As BPI Communications it acquired The Hollywood Reporter Adweek Marketing Week and Mediaweek and also purchased Broadcast Data Systems a high tech firm for tracking music airtime 9 Private investors from Boston Ventures and BPI executives re purchased a two thirds interest in Billboard Publications for 100 million and more acquisitions followed In 1993 it created a division known as Billboard Music Group for music related publications 9 In 1994 Billboard Publications was sold to Dutch media conglomerate Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen VNU for 220 million 17 b VNU acquired the Clio Awards in advertising and the National Research Group in 1997 as well as Editor amp Publisher in 1999 In July 2000 it paid 650 million for the publisher Miller Freeman BPI was combined with other entities in VNU in 2000 to form Bill Communications Inc By the time CEO Gerald Hobbs retired in 2003 VNU had grown substantially larger but had a large amount of debt from the acquisitions An attempted 7 billion acquisition of IMS Health in 2005 prompted protests from shareholders that halted the deal it eventually agreed to an 11 billion takeover bid from investors in 2006 9 VNU then changed its name to Nielsen in 2007 the namesake of a company it acquired for 2 5 billion in 1999 19 20 New CEO Robert Krakoff divested some of the previously owned publications restructured the organization and planned some acquisitions before dying suddenly in 2007 he was subsequently replaced by Greg Farrar 9 Nielsen owned Billboard until 2009 when it was one of eight publications sold to e5 Global Media Holdings e5 was formed by investment firms Pluribus Capital Management and Guggenheim Partners for the purpose of the acquisition 21 22 The following year the new parent company was renamed as Prometheus Global Media 23 Three years later Guggenheim Partners acquired Pluribus share of Prometheus and became the sole owner of Billboard 24 25 In December 2015 Guggenheim Digital Media spun out several media brands including Billboard to its own executive Todd Boehly 26 27 The assets operate under the Hollywood Reporter Billboard Media Group a unit of the holding company Eldridge Industries 28 1990s present Edit Timothy White was appointed editor in chief in 1991 a position he held until his unexpected death in 2002 White wrote a weekly column promoting music with artistic merit while criticizing music with violent or misogynistic themes 29 and also reworked the publication s music charts 29 Rather than relying on data from music retailers new charts used data from store checkout scanners obtained from Nielsen SoundScan 9 White also wrote in depth profiles on musicians 30 but was replaced by Keith Girard who was subsequently fired in May 2004 He and a female employee filed a 29 million lawsuit alleging that Billboard fired them unfairly with an intent to damage their reputations 31 The lawsuit claimed that they experienced sexual harassment a hostile work environment and a financially motivated lack of editorial integrity 31 32 Email evidence suggested that human resources were given special instructions to watch minority employees 32 The case was settled out of court in 2006 for a non disclosed sum 33 In the 2000s economic decline in the music industry dramatically reduced readership and advertising from Billboard s traditional audience 31 34 Circulation declined from 40 000 in circulation in the 1990s to less than 17 000 by 2014 33 The publication s staff and ownership were also undergoing frequent changes 32 In 2004 Tamara Conniff became the first female and youngest ever executive editor at Billboard and led its first major redesign since the 1960s by Daniel Stark and Stark Design During her tenure Billboard newsstand sales jumped 10 ad pages climbed 22 and conference registrations rose 76 35 In 2005 Billboard expanded its editorial outside the music industry into other areas of digital and mobile entertainment In 2006 after leading Billboard s radio publication former ABC News and CNN journalist Scott McKenzie was named editorial director across all Billboard properties 36 Conniff launched the Billboard Women in Music event in 2007 37 38 39 40 Bill Werde was named editorial director in 2008 41 and was followed by Janice Min in January 2014 also responsible for editorial content at The Hollywood Reporter 41 The magazine has since been making changes to make it more of a general interest music news source as opposed to solely an industry trade branching out into covering more celebrity fashion and gossip 33 34 42 Min hired Tony Gervino as the publication s editor which was unusual in that he did not have a background in the music industry 42 Tony Gervino was appointed editor in chief in April 2014 43 An item on NPR covered a leaked version of Billboard s annual survey which it said had more gossip and focused on less professional topics than prior surveys For example it polled readers on a lawsuit that singer Kesha filed against her producer alleging sexual abuse 33 Gervino was let go in May 2016 A note from Min to the editorial staff indicated that Senior Vice President of Digital Content Mike Bruno would serve as the head of editorial moving forward 44 On June 15 2016 BillboardPH the first Billboard chart company in Southeast Asia mainly in the Philippines was announced 45 On September 12 2016 Billboard expanded into China by launching Billboard China in a partnership with Vision Music Ltd 46 On September 23 2020 it was announced that Penske Media Corporation would assume operations of the MRC Media amp Info publications under a joint venture with MRC known as PMRC The joint venture includes management of Billboard 47 News publishing EditBillboard publishes a news website and weekly trade magazine that cover music video and home entertainment Most of the articles are written by staff writers while some are written by industry experts 10 It covers news gossip opinion 2 and music reviews but its most enduring and influential creation is the Billboard charts 6 The charts track music sales radio airtime and other data about the most popular songs and albums 6 The Billboard Hot 100 chart of the top selling songs was introduced in 1958 Since then the Billboard 200 which tracks the top selling albums has become more popular as an indicator of commercial success 2 Billboard has also published books in collaboration with Watson Guptill and a radio and television series called American Top 40 based on Billboard charts 10 A daily Billboard Bulletin was introduced in February 1997 6 and Billboard hosts about 20 industry events each year 1 Billboard is considered one of the most reputable sources of music industry news 11 34 The website includes the Billboard Charts news separated by music genre videos and a separate website It also compiles lists hosts a fashion website called Pret a Reporter and publishes eight different newsletters The print magazine s regular sections include 1 Hot 100 A chart of the top 100 most popular songs of the week Topline News from the week The Beat Hitmaker interviews gossip and trends in the music industry Style Fashion and accessories Features In depth interviews profiles and photography Reviews Reviews of new albums and songs Backstage pass information about events and concerts Charts and CODA More information about current and historical Billboard ChartsListicles EditBillboard is known for publishing several annual listicles on its website in recognition of the most influential executives artists and companies in the music industry such as the following 21 Under 21 48 40 Under 40 49 Women in Music 50 Billboard Dance 100 51 Billboard Power 100 52 Dance Power Players 53 Digital Power Players 54 Hip Hop Power Players 55 Indie Power Players 56 Latin Power Players 57 See also EditBillboard Argentina Billboard Brasil Billboard Candid Covers Billboard Japan Billboard K Town Billboard Mashup Mondays Billboard Touring Awards Billboard Turkiye Top HeatseekersNotes Edit Some sources say it was called The Billboard Advertiser 2 19 publications according to the Chicago Tribune 18 References Edit a b c Media Kit PDF Billboard Archived from the original PDF on August 6 2019 Retrieved June 15 2016 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Anand N 2006 Charting the Music Business Magazine and the Development of the Commercial Music Field In Lampel Joseph Shamsie Jamal Lant Theresa eds The Business of Culture Strategic Perspectives on Entertainment and Media Series in Organization and Management Taylor amp Francis p 140 ISBN 978 1 135 60923 8 Archived from the original on December 13 2020 Retrieved November 5 2015 Broven J 2009 Record Makers and Breakers Voices of the Independent Rock n Roll Pioneers Music in American life University of Illinois Press p 187 ISBN 978 0 252 03290 5 Retrieved November 5 2015 Trust Gary November 1 2021 The First Billboard All That Was New Bright and Interesting on the Boards Billboard Retrieved October 1 2022 a b c Gussow Don 1984 The New Business of Journalism An Insider s Look at the Workings of America s Business Press Harcourt Brace Jovanovich pp 32 33 ISBN 978 0 15 165202 0 a b c d e f g h Godfrey Donald G Leigh Frederic A 1998 Historical Dictionary of American Radio Westport CT Greenwood Press p 45 ISBN 978 0 313 29636 9 a b c Hall of fame history s top personalities in the live entertainment and amusement industry One hundredth anniversary collector s edition Amusement Business November 1 1994 Archived from the original on December 24 2015 Retrieved November 7 2015 a b c d Writers Program of the Works Projects Administration in the State of Ohio 1943 Cincinnati a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors Best Books p 184 ISBN 978 1 62376 051 9 Archived from the original on December 13 2020 Retrieved November 7 2015 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Dinger Ed Nielsen Business Media Inc International Directory of Company Histories Vol 98 pp 260 265 a b c d e f g h i j Hoffmann Frank 2004 Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound Taylor amp Francis p 212 ISBN 978 1 135 94950 1 Archived from the original on December 13 2020 Retrieved November 5 2015 a b c d e f g Radel Cliff November 3 1994 Entertainment amp the Arts Billboard Celebrates 100 Years Of Hits The Seattle Times Archived from the original on December 23 2015 Retrieved November 6 2015 a b c New Boss for Billboard Newsweek April 4 1949 pp 57 58 a b Bloom K 2013 Broadway An Encyclopedia Taylor amp Francis p 83 ISBN 978 1 135 95020 0 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved November 6 2015 Sale Jonathan January 4 1996 Sixty years of hits from Sinatra to Sinatra The Independent Archived from the original on January 3 2017 Retrieved January 3 2017 The Billboard PDF The Billboard Vol 72 no 38 New York City September 19 1960 pp 1 96 see in particular p 1 Cover and p 2 Imprint Masthead Retrieved October 29 2022 a b Jackson K T Keller L Flood N 2010 The Encyclopedia of New York City Second Edition Yale University Press p 638 ISBN 978 0 300 18257 6 Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved November 5 2015 Dutch Buyer Acquires BPI The New York Times January 15 1994 Archived from the original on December 23 2015 Retrieved October 10 2015 Dutch Firm To Purchase Billboard Film Magazine Chicago Tribune January 17 1994 Archived from the original on December 23 2015 Retrieved October 10 2015 VNU to Buy Nielsen Media In Deal Valued at 2 5 Billion The Wall Street Journal August 17 1999 Archived from the original on December 13 2020 Retrieved October 10 2015 Deliso Meredith January 18 2007 VNU Changes Name to the Nielsen Co Advertising Age Archived from the original on December 23 2015 Retrieved October 10 2015 Ives Nat December 10 2009 Adweek Group Among Titles Sold to e5 Global Media Holdings Advertising Age Archived from the original on December 24 2015 Retrieved October 11 2015 Hollywood Reporter Billboard sold Los Angeles Times December 10 2009 Archived from the original on September 18 2020 Retrieved October 12 2015 What s in a Name Folio October 15 2010 Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved October 11 2015 Steel Emily January 15 2013 Former Yahoo chief moves to Guggenheim Financial Times Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved January 15 2016 Yahoo Exec Tapped To Head Prometheus Global Media Folio January 15 2013 Archived from the original on May 29 2016 Retrieved January 11 2016 Guggenheim Prepares To Sell Hollywood Reporter Dick Clark Productions To Exec Deadline com December 17 2015 Archived from the original on June 20 2017 Retrieved December 18 2015 Guggenheim Media Spins Off Money Losing Hollywood Reporter Billboard to Company President Todd Boehly Exclusive The Wrap December 17 2015 Archived from the original on December 20 2015 Retrieved December 18 2015 Dodgers Boehly Leads 100 Million DraftKings Investment Bloomberg com March 9 2017 Archived from the original on March 9 2017 Retrieved March 10 2017 a b Timothy White 50 Editor Revolutionized Billboard Magazine Los Angeles Times June 28 2002 Archived from the original on November 22 2015 Retrieved November 5 2015 Pareles Jon July 1 2002 Timothy White 50 Billboard Editor in Chief The New York Times Archived from the original on December 13 2020 Retrieved November 5 2015 a b c Jurkowitz Mark August 12 2004 Lawsuit is latest in list of tough hits for Billboard Boston Globe Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved November 5 2015 a b c Grinberg Emanuella April 6 2005 New motion details racial profiling claims against Billboard magazine CNN Archived from the original on October 16 2020 Retrieved November 5 2015 a b c d Tsioulcas Anastasia August 23 2015 Why Is Billboard Asking Industry Execs If They Believe Kesha NPR Archived from the original on November 7 2015 Retrieved November 7 2015 a b c Sisario Ben January 8 2014 Leadership Change May Signal New Start for Billboard Magazine The New York Times Archived from the original on December 13 2020 Retrieved November 6 2015 Flamm Matthew January 2006 Tamara Conniff 33 40 Under 40 Crain s New York Business Archived from the original on September 28 2018 Retrieved September 28 2018 Billboard Promotes Key Editors Billboard January 13 2006 Archived from the original on August 2 2020 Reba Named Woman Of The Year CBS News AP September 14 2007 Archived from the original on April 20 2020 Retrieved April 17 2020 Top Music Exec joins WorldMusicLink PRLOG Press release February 18 2011 Archived from the original on November 26 2020 Retrieved August 14 2020 Billboard chooses Reba McEntire as its first Woman of the Year The Orange County Register September 14 2007 Archived from the original on December 4 2020 Retrieved August 14 2020 McEntire Named Billboard s Woman Of The Year Billboard September 17 2007 Archived from the original on June 22 2018 Retrieved August 14 2020 a b Lewis Randy January 9 2014 Billboard Shakeup puts Hollywood Reporter s Janice Min in Charge Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on January 12 2014 Retrieved January 13 2014 a b Sisario Ben April 7 2014 Billboard Names Tony Gervino as Editor The New York Times Archived from the original on December 13 2020 Retrieved November 6 2015 Steigrad Alexandra April 7 2014 Billboard Names Tony Gervino Editor in Chief Women s Wear Daily Archived from the original on December 5 2020 Retrieved November 5 2015 Billboard EIC Tony Gervino Exits on a High Note www adweek com Archived from the original on January 9 2019 Retrieved August 15 2016 Billboard Partners with AlgoRhythm to Launch Billboard Philippines Billboard June 15 2016 Archived from the original on June 9 2017 Retrieved June 30 2017 Havens Lyndsey September 12 2016 Billboard Launches in China Billboard Archived from the original on September 14 2016 Retrieved August 10 2016 Ellefson Lindsey September 23 2020 Variety Parent Penske Media to Take Over Hollywood Reporter Billboard in Joint Venture With MRC TheWrap Archived from the original on September 24 2020 Retrieved September 23 2020 21 Under 21 2017 Music s Next Generation Billboard Archived from the original on February 9 2018 Retrieved December 30 2017 40 Under 40 Music s Top Young Power Players Revealed Billboard Archived from the original on December 5 2020 Retrieved December 30 2017 Revealed Billboard s 2019 Women In Music Top Executives Billboard Magazine December 12 2019 Archived from the original on June 27 2020 Retrieved May 18 2020 Billboard Launches Inaugural Billboard Dance 100 Ranking of Top Dance Music Artists Billboard Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved December 8 2018 Billboard s 2017 Power 100 List Revealed Billboard Archived from the original on January 9 2021 Retrieved December 30 2017 Billboard Dance Power Players 2018 The Managers Live Leaders amp Tastemakers Shaping the Genre Billboard Retrieved December 8 2018 permanent dead link Revealed Billboard s 2017 Digital Power Players Guiding the Future in Music and Tech Billboard Archived from the original on December 13 2020 Retrieved December 30 2017 Hip Hop Power Players 2017 The Heat Seekers Billboard Archived from the original on October 16 2020 Retrieved December 31 2017 Revealed Billboard s 2017 Indie Power Players Led by Big Machine s Scott Borchetta Billboard Archived from the original on November 20 2020 Retrieved December 31 2017 Latin Power Players 2017 List Revealed Billboard Archived from the original on December 5 2020 Retrieved December 31 2017 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Billboard magazine Official website Archives Edit Billboard Archive on Google Books 1940 2010 archived online by Google Books Charts since 1958 articles since 2001 reviews 2008 2016 Archived December 7 2011 at the Wayback Machine archived online by Billboard World Radio History 1920 2014 Incomplete Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Billboard magazine amp oldid 1130832843, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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