The William Morris Endeavor Entertainment talent company has blacklisted OU after fallout related to an article about Jack White’s contract.
The company said they won’t book anymore bands or other talents to come to OU because the article mocked Jack White and they don’t want any other artists treated that way, said Layne Ferguson, Campus Activities Council chairperson.
William Morris Endeavor Entertainment is an agency that represent performers when they go on tour if these artists choose to be represented by this group.
The company has represented artists such as 2 Chainz, Alicia Keys, All Time Low, Selena Gomez, Pharrell Williams and Kid Cudi, according to WME's North American contemporary roster.
“OU is basically getting blackballed as a place that’s not welcoming to outside talent,” Ferguson said. “If [Black Student Association] or [Hispanic American Student Association] want to bring a speaker, any student association, this affects everybody. If they want to bring in musical talent, a speaker, a comedian, it really affects that.”
The agency contacted CAC after The Daily released Jack White's artist rider. The post noted the details of the contract including the guacamole recipe and the concert’s cost, Ferguson said.
In an email with CAC adviser Quy Nguyen, Marc Geiger, who is with WME, said the agency wouldn’t book further shows at OU “until this policy is modified not to disseminate private information.”
This policy refers to the Oklahoma Open Records Act, which requires any public entity of the state of Oklahoma, such as OU, to respond to request for records. OU must respond to requests for records involving the administration of public funds or transaction of public business, including budgets, faculty emails and other records.
When The Daily reached out to WME, a representative declined to comment.
WME representatives told CAC representatives to confirm with The Daily that the agency has blacklisted OU and that the agency would not speak with The Daily.
This article was corrected Feb. 5, 2015 at 10:05 p.m. An earlier version of the article incorrectly reported that talent agency CAA had also blacklisted OU. WME is the only one to confirm this.
