Observers blame climate of scrutiny for Akon flap

By Ray Waddell and Michael Paoletta

NASHVILLE/NEW YORK (Billboard) - Verizon Wireless' decision to drop its sponsorship of the Gwen Stefani Sweet Escape tour because of the actions of supporting act Akon probably would not have happened as recently as six weeks ago, many in the touring and branding sectors believe.

"It is a sign of the times," said Jim Guerinot, Stefani's manager. "The '50s."

The controversy stems from an Akon concert last month in Trinidad, where the artist danced provocatively with an underage fan. When footage of the incident found its way online and controversy followed, Verizon backed out of the Stefani tour, even though Akon's show was unrelated to and not part of the Sweet Escape tour, which commenced April 21 in Phoenix.

Regardless, a Verizon Wireless representative said the decision to back out of the tour was "based on a number of things" but would not publicly specify a connection to the incident in Trinidad. Akon ringtones and music were still available on Verizon phones as of May 11.

THE IMUS FACTOR

A source close to the situation, however, attributed Verizon's decision to increased sensitivity in the wake of Don Imus' firing from CBS Radio over comments that were deemed racist, and the subsequent scrutiny of urban music.

"Verizon received a lot of calls from Laura Ingraham fans and Verizon caved," the source said, referring to talk radio host Ingraham, whose syndicated show seemed to add fuel to the fire.

"This is directly related to Imus. No question about it," the source said. "We are seeing a new climate of scrutiny."