plus: Napster and three labels reach agreement. All Tomorrow's Parties--the U.S. version. Yardbirds compilation. Billboard's album chart.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Colorado Springs radio station KKMG $7,000 for playing Eminem [ tickets ]'s song "The Real Slim Shady," according to Reuters.

Though the station's parent company claims that the station aired the edited version of the song, the FCC reportedly stated that the "edited version of the song contains unmistakable offensive sexual references. In this regard, portions of the lyrics contain sexual references in conjunction with sexual expletives that appear intended to pander and shock."

Well, of course they're intended to pander and shock. For a year now, the song has been intending to pander and shock like Jerry Springer hosting "Cops." Where exactly have you been, FCC?

Answer: Waiting for Bush.

According to the article, the FCC established new guidelines a few weeks ago, guidelines that "[make] it clear that innuendo is a factor, even if specific expletives are missing."

Does this mean that a cabal of Republican apparatchiks gets to determine if a song has punishable "innuendo?"

That can't be good.

(Not that a Gore-Lieberman administration would have guaranteed anything better, lest we forget.)

Napster reached a music-licensing agreement with major labels AOL Time Warner's Warner Music, Bertelsmann's BMG Entertainment and EMI Group on Tuesday (5/5).

According to Wired.com, "The deal would create a subscription plan with two paying tiers: a basic channel with access to independent music and a premium channel of major label music that comes with CD burning capabilities."

The University of California at Los Angeles will host All Tommorow's Parties, a U.S. version of the U.K. festival, from Oct. 19-20, RollingStone.com reported. Acts will include Stereolab, Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Stephen Malkmus and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, among others.

Rhino Records will release " The Yardbirds [ tickets ]: Ultimate!" a 50-track compilation CD, on July 17.

Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck have all played guitar for the Yardbirds.

The June 3 issue of Billboard contains a retrospective of the Billboard album chart. About 10 years ago, Billboard began using record sales, tracked and reported by SoundScan, to determine the ranking of albums. Prior to that, the magazine compiled its album chart by polling a cross-section of record retailers.

Billboard calls the current chart "reality-based."