• Even Steven: Los Angeles lost a country radio station, now it's getting a country station. Mount Wilson Broadcasting is moving to country from standards after KZLA-FM ditched country for urban. (Read article at Radio Ink)

• Brit rock band Keane is releasing a single, "Nothing In My Way," in the memory stick format. Right, a memory stick. Said one analyst, "I can't see this being something that's commonplace, but it's a good idea for people who haven't completely moved to downloads and breaking them in gently." No matter. Sales should be pretty light. (Read article at The Guardian)

• The AllofMP3.com story is getting weird. The IFPI has been giving the "legal" Russian download site a pretty hard time. Now Visa and Mastercard have stopped taking credit card transactions from the site. AllofMP3's response? A DRM-wrapped free service. The anti-RIAA crowd, which was firmly in AllofMP3's corner, must really be between a rock and a hard place. (Read AP article at BusinessWeekOnline)

• Ben Goldman was named Senior VP of A&R at Columbia Records. (Read article at Billboard.biz)

• William Patry's copyright blog has a post on the recent Copyright Office decision on ringtones. Wrote Patry of the decision that ringtones are subject to a compulsory license: "This is an epoch-making decision that bears repeated readings." (Read post at The Patry Copyright Blog)

• The Harry Fox Agency and the National Music Publishers Association avow they will not recognize the ringtone compulsory license. "This decision has no effect on HFA's existing policy that digital phonorecord delivery licenses issued by HFA on behalf of publishers are limited to the making and distribution of full downloads comprising full-length musical works and do not cover the additional configurations of ringtones or mastertones," the firm said in a statement. (Read post at Digital Music News)

• A group of music companies is teaming up for the Music Nation talent search. The contest will take video entries from bands around the world and grant three of them recording contracts with Epic Records. Local radio will help drive partcipation (Clear Channel is involved) and host performances. I dunno...sounds like Flickerstick all over again. (Read press release)

[music jobs] The Beggars Group & Matador Records is seeking a Paralegal