• What's the over-under on this being called a "slippery slope"? Irish ISP Eircom has agreed to block user access to file-sharing sites such as The Pirate Bay. (TorrentFreak)

• Today's circus: A Senate hearing/grilling on the proposed Ticketmaster and Live Nation merger. You can watch a live stream of the event at this Committee on the Judiciary page. (Rolling Stone)

• Senator Charles Schumer's statement on today's hearing. "This merger would give a giant, new entity unrivaled power over concertgoers and the prices they pay to see their favorite artists and bands. It must be viewed skeptically and scrutinized and I look forward to tomorrow's hearings as a beginning to this important process in order to ensure consumers are protected." (Press release)

• Private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson predicts media spending will drop 0.4% in 2009 while broadcast and satellite radio will drop 7.2%. Internet and mobile are expected to have solid growth but have been downgraded. (Radio Ink)

• EMI Music Canada has a distribution deal with indie label Secret City Records. (Billboard.biz)

• Roger Murrah is Bug Music Publishing's new SVP, Nashville. (Music Row)