Money for Nothing: Behind the Business of Pop Music (Media Education Foundation, 2002) analyzes four gatekeepers that control the flow of music to consumers: radio, MTV, touring, and retail.
- Thinking back to 2002 (when this film was made), who were your favorite musicians? Were your choices influenced by the four gatekeepers identified in the film?
- Now think of your current musical choices. Who are the gatekeepers today? Do radio, MTV, touring, and retail still matter?
For more background on the music industry, check out the website for the PBS-Frontline documentary The Way the Music Died.
