Did Sony scupper iStream?

The New York Post has marked an interesting result of the recent SonyATV-EMI merger, saying the new music publishing giant effectively blocked Apple's new iStream project - the proposed iTunes streaming service. A number of commentators had warned that the combined might of Sony and EMI in music publishing and Universal and EMI in sound recording markets could block new entrants from the digital market - but this story is more complex - it seems that Sony simply refused to give Apple more favourable rates than those available from the US collection societies BMI and ASCAP or from SoundExchange, the body which represents sound record rights holders in the online radio space, and which also licenses services like Pandora.