[cma-l] Royalty payments

[Bill Best]

Hi Trevor

Thank you for this and the pledges of support to the CMA.

As mentioned last Friday the CMA has written to Alison Seabeck MP
thanking her for her contribution to the PRS debate last Wednesday and
welcoming the code of conduct that has been drawn up by PRS in how
they intend to communicate with small businesses and charities.

We have also copied the letter to David Lammy, Minister for Higher
Education & Intellectual Property and requested a meeting with both
MPs to discuss with them further how this matter affects the community
broadcasting sector as a whole.

As a result of dialogue with the CMA, PPL no longer requires community
radio stations to deliver a detailed ISRC report but stations may now
describe their output in terms of other more well-known platforms,
e.g. "We're 50:50 Radio1 and Radio4" or something like that.

Music licensing for community broadcasters, as well as digital
switchover and funding issues, is one of the key priorities of the
CMA.  Furthermore we will be taking feedback from you to the Digital
Mentors fund meeting at DCLG tomorrow - please see my next email.

Best regards

Bill
-- 
Technical Manager
Community Media Association
http://www.commedia.org.uk/

Canstream Online Multi-Media Solutions
http://www.canstream.co.uk/

2008/11/18 Trevor Lockwood <info at felixstoweradio.co.uk>:
> This discussion is important, and perhaps we have a real opportunity for
> change.
>
> We provide support for emerging musicians, but how many songwriters,
> musicians and publishers understand the system of IPI numbers, or
> ISWC/ISRC or the nightmare of contractual pitfalls they face?
>
> Does CMA, by which I mean the membership, perhaps through its board of
> directors, have an obligation to ensure that our volunteers, many of
> whom are struggling young musicians, get a just reward for their efforts
> - by at least giving them some understanding of the system?
>
> We need to closely examine the sampling systems used by PPL and
> MCPS-PRS, VPL let alone ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and all the rest in this
> confusing global world. At present it would appear to be biased towards
> the larger producers. The AP1, AP2A, AP2 schemes are further evidence of
> weighting towards the already successful with MCPS charging publishers
> three times as much to collect for AP2 as from the bigger boys.
>
> At each stage the small guys lose out. The excuse often used is cost of
> collection. Perhaps it's time we looked at how we can help, by
> collecting the cash ourselves, and paying our musicians ourselves.
>
> We provide invaluable platforms for the music industry. An industry
> whose giants are struggling to maintain a stranglehold. We provide an
> alternative. Our volunteers and our listeners are at the heart of
> today's music industry and we have an obilgation to ensure that they get
> just compensation. Failure to do so will mean we remain comfortably
> playing games, in a cosy club that likes esoteric emergence but does
> nothing to help.
>
> There is opportunity for community stations, for the whole movement. We
> are increasingly important. Our playlists are extensive, not restricted
> like those found at the BBC and commercial stations. Let's explore how
> we can help the musicians in those lists gain just rewards.
>
> I'm just waking up to reality. Our little station must also become a
> registered publisher, after all the programmes on our podcast/listen
> again facility are all home produced, then given away, for nothing.
> After that we need to create a system that ensures little producers get
> a proper share of the rewards, and are not just thrown the scraps left
> in the black box once all the big boys have filled their pockets.
>
> Am I talking revolution here? Do we have the first signs of the worm
> turning? Will anyone else pick up the flag and walk beside me? Forward
> into battle!
>
> Trevor Lockwood
> --
> http://www.felixstoweradio.co.uk
> Felixstowe Radio Community Interest Company
> Registered Number 6419058
> 61 Gainsborough Road, Felixstowe IP11 7HS