[cma-l] Music royalties and the third Sector

[Andrew David]

Jaqui - in all my dealings with MCPS/PRS and PPL I've found that they're quite unable to understand who they're dealing with when it comes to the 3rd tier.  PPL's small webcaster licence and reporting systemis the best I've found - and it takes a lot of the angst out of making sure the logs are kept in order.

Go for it - I suggested to the Alliance that they all join together and make it a one-stop shop - didn't go down well as it might man they'd all have to talk to each other - heaven forbid!

Andrew

Andrew David
Managing Editor
Siren FM
University of Lincoln
Brayford Pool
Lincoln
LN6 7TS

01522 886001
Mobex 46001
Mobile 07525 873622

Please note that I'm trying to manage my emails and I may not get back to you as promptly as you'd like.  If it's urgent please give me a call, Thanks.

Siren FM 107.3 - Lincoln's Community Radio Station
www.sirenonline.co.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Jaqui Devereux
Sent: 14 November 2008 11:39
To: 'CMA-L'
Subject: [cma-l] Music royalties and the third Sector

Dear all

Please find below an article in Third Sector on music copyright published today.

As you are aware the CMA shares the same concerns as the sector about various aspects of music royalty licensing and we are extremely concerned as to how our sector is treated.  We are continuing to work on your behalf to get fairer treatment for community radio from PPL and MCPS-PRS.  We will keep you posted on any developments for the sector.

In the meantime if you have any detailed queries on royalties, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes

Jaqui
--
Jaqui Devereux

Director
Community Media Association



Article:

Bullying allegations for PRS as music rights row continues

By John Plummer, Third Sector Online, 14 November 2008

The Performing Right Society has agreed to develop a code of practice after allegations were made that it was "bullying" charities and small businesses into paying licence fees for playing music.

In a House of Commons debate on 12 November, Alison Seabeck, Labour MP for Plymouth Devonport, said the society's actions had given her "cause for concern".

She pointed out that the average cost of a licence from the PRS for sports clubs was £369 a year and that one treasurer had "received numerous very aggressive phone calls and a letter from the PRS threatening enforcement within 14 days".

Intellectual property minister David Lammy said the society, a not-for-profit membership organisation that represents 60,000 people in the music industry, had agreed to establish a code of practice to deal with complaints.

He said he had also asked the society to reflect on the breadth of organisations it approached for fees, and that what constituted public performance needed reviewing. "If the system is to work properly, it must gain the confidence of the public," he said.

Charities currently have to pay for licences from the society, which collects royalties for composers and lyricists. But they are exempt from paying royalties to Phonographic Performance Limited, which represents the interests of music producers and performers. The Government has proposed ending the PPL exemption.

The Association of Charity Shops warned this week that an end to the PPL exemption could land charity shops with a £900,000 annual bill for playing music in-store (Third Sector Online, 10 November) and called for the exemption to continue. Charity-run hospital radios would also be affected.

Seabeck told the Commons: "Many charity shops use music to support an attractive retail environment, in the same way as any retail concern, except of course they divert all their profits to charitable purposes.

"According to the charity shops, the current government consultation on music licensing threatens to add substantial costs to their outgoings. That money could only come from funds earmarked for vital causes. Surely that is not a desirable outcome."

Small businesses, she added, had "inundated" her with similar concerns.
--
Jaqui Devereux

Director
Community Media Association

15 Paternoster Row
Sheffield
S1 2BX

+44 114 279 5219


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