Music industry bible Billboard has horrified top execs in the business — including music manager Irving Azoff — by sending out a “confidential survey” asking “offensive” questions, such as whether they believe Kesha’s allegation she was sexually abused by producer Dr. Luke.
The survey asks questions such as, “Who is the most overpaid executive in the music industry?,” “Who is the most press-hungry executive in the music industry?” and “Who is the most high maintenance act in music?”
The questions took a mean-spirited turn when Billboard went on to ask, “In three years, Justin Bieber will be: (i) Headlining arenas or (ii) On a VH1 reality show?”
Then, sinking to an even lower level, it asked: “Who do you believe: (i) Kesha (ii) Dr Luke.” The results will be published in the Sept. 19 issue.
Azoff, who topped Billboard’s Power 100 list in 2012, said he was appalled by the survey, stating, “If Billboard wants to survey the music industry, they should ask people in the biz what they think about their publication. Maybe then they’d understand how fully they’ve turned a formerly respected brand into an irrelevant joke.”
Another industry insider told us, “The details of the [Kesha/Dr. Luke] case are so terrible, it is offensive to ask anyone to speculate on it for a gossipy survey.”
Kesha’s lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, against songwriter/producer Dr. Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald, accuses him of rape and attempting to control her life for a decade.
He filed a countersuit claiming she is attempting to extort him to get out of a contract. In June, a California judge ruled the dispute should be handled in New York.
A spokesperson for Billboard said, “We are aware of the personal grousings of Irving Azoff about Billboard and are sorry he won’t be filling out the survey.”
The survey has now been taken down online.
Azoff added, “Their reckless statement to Page Six about me and the inappropriate subject matter of their so-called survey are a new low, even for them.”
