• Mediabase announced the 2006 airplay leaders. The most played song of the year was Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" (Geffen). Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" was the most-played Top 40 song. With 901,206 spins, Kelly Clarkson was the most-played artist of the year. Nickelback was second and just 11,000 spins behind. Island Def Jam was the most-played record label of the year. Arista Nashville received the most country spins, and Interscope received the most alternative spins. (Read press release)

• FaithMP3, a digital music store featuring the Christian music of Integrity Music, launched a beta version yesterday. FaithMP3 is the first digital music store enabled by freedomMP3, the PassAlong Networks service that grants interoperability and respects the creator's rights. Songs from freedomMP3 can be transferred between computer and MP3 player (including the iPod) but cannot be uploaded to P2P services or mass copied. (Read press release)

• That Sony BMG rootkit settlement mentioned yesterday wasn't with just two states. In all, the company settled with 39 states for a total of $4.25 million. California and Texas received $1.5 million. New York received $315,000. Customers will be able to file claims for refunds up to $175 but there's a catch. To receive a refund, a consumer must give a description of how their computer was harmed and documentation of repairs incurred. That should present enough of a roadblock to deter a great many consumers from filing a claim. This all stems from Sony BMG's use of a rootkit in copy-protected CDs (read at Wikipedia). The invasive rootkit files leaves users' computers at risk due to security holes. (Read AP article)

• FYE has backed out of plans to move into two Tower Records stores in Sacramento. FYE had planned on opening stores at the Broadway and Watt Ave stores, but company CFO John Sullivan said the leases "weren't what they thought they were." Trans World, owner of the FYE chain, still has plans to take over Tower locations in Torrance, Philadelphia and Nashville. (Read article at Sacramento Bee)

• EMI chairman Eric Nicoli has been named to the board of directors for Vue Entertainment, a UK cinema chain. Nicoli will assist with growth of the company in the U.K. and Ireland. (Read article at Variety)

• A profile of XM Satellite Radio and walk around the company's Washington DC office. "The building itself is a century-old renovated printing press where National Geographic and Newsweek were once printed." (Read article at The Washington Post)