• Vivendi received approval to acquire BMG Music Publishing from Bertelsmann. The combine music publishing company is bigger than current leader EMI Music Publishing. (Read article at Billboard.biz)

• IRIS Distribution and Sonific created a partnership that will add tens of thousands of master recordings to Sonific's catalog of songs available for use with Sonific's SongSpots widget. SongSpot can be placed on a blog or website and will stream music from Sonific's catalog. (Read press release)

• Research and Markets has released the second volume to its "Ringtones: Past, Present and Future" report. Among the reports conclusions: labels are in "an explosive growth phase," "the outlook for pure-play mobile content aggregators is bleak" and covertones, or ringtones comprised of cover versions of popular songs, "are here to stay as a viable component of the market." (Read press release)

• Apple scored a deal with six airlines to place iPod docks in passenger seats. One key component: Each seat must have its own video display, which rules out most of the planes I encounter. Expect to see the new system used mid-2007 by Air France, Delta, Continental, Emirates, KLM and United. (Read post at Digital Music News)

• The FCC announced a public hearing on media ownership that will be held in Nashville on December 11th. (Read article at Radio Ink, download PDF of press release)