June 16, 2010

By By Aymeric Pichevin, Paris

French independent labels body UPFI elected Stephan Bourdoiseau as its new president for a two-year term. Bourdoiseau, CEO of independent record company and distributor Wagram, headed the UPFI between 2004 and 2008.

He replaces tot Ou tard founder and CEO Vincent Frerebeau, who did not apply for a new mandate. Frerebeau remains in UPFI's newly elected board along with Marc Thonon (Atmosph?riques), Eric Bielsa (Because Music), B?atrice Costermans (Na?ve), Laurent Didailler (Pias), and Sylvie Br?ly (Zig Zag Territoires).

According to a UPFI statement, Bourdoiseau's first task will be to ensure the measures recommended in the government-backed mission - led by independent label Na?ve CEO Patrick Zelnik - to support the growth of the online music market are actually applied.

UPFI expressed its "strong concern" that none of the measures recommended in the report have been enacted by government. The state-subsidized "music card," designed to encourage young people to buy music online, still has no set launch date, while it was initially expected in June.

The extension of the tax credit, first introduced by the government in 2006, which allows labels to offset part of their costs, has also to be finalized, as well as the additional ?10 million ($12.3 million) funding to French organization IFCIC to support young digital music startups.

"Ongoing support is needed to help the recording industry adapt to the current technological shift," reads the statement.

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