I have a way of grating on people's nerves. Ask Marina, my wife. She calls it my "mean streak."

I have a way of grating on people's nerves. Ask Marina, my wife. She calls it my "mean streak."

I have a way of grating on people's nerves. Ask Marina, my wife. She calls it my "mean streak."

I have a way of grating on people's nerves. Ask Marina, my wife. She calls it my "mean streak."

I have a way of grating on people's nerves. Ask Marina, my wife. She calls it my "mean streak."

I have a way of grating on people's nerves. Ask Marina, my wife. She calls it my "mean streak."

Sales of recorded music declined by 9.2% on a monetary basis and 11% on a unit basis worldwide during the first half of 2002, according to recently released figures from the <A HREF="http://www.ifpi.org">International Federation of the Phonographic Industry</A> (IFPI). The drop is a continuation of a long slump that began in the mid-1990s, blamed by many music industry executives on the widespread use of CD burners and the popularity of downloading tunes on the Internet. Others acknowledge that increasing competition for consumers' time and money&mdash;especially films on DVD&mdash;is eating into music industry profits.

Beginning early next year, digital satellite radio startups may have some competition from terrestrial broadcasters, thanks to an October 10 decision by the <A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov">Federal Communications Commission</A> (FCC).

Media critics may be right: If record companies had spent as much effort building a digital distribution network as they have fighting digital piracy, they might actually be making money online instead of complaining about it. This is the conclusion of a new report from KPMG and the Economist Intelligence Unit.