[cma-l] PRS Community Radio Licence Application and FAQ - your feedback required

[Bill Best]

Hi Trevor

See inline replies below,

On 26 October 2010 11:56,  <trevor at felixstoweradio.co.uk> wrote:
> Bill
>
> I was not aware of any stated policy about the CMA and PRS relationship.

It was said that the CMA has re-established a positive working
dialogue with PRS. Due to changes on their staff team, community radio
is an area that has been, by their own admission, relatively
overlooked by PRS.

> In the past I've wondered whether CMA is now large enough to consider
> creating its own version of PRS, working with that organisation, but
> achieving economies of scale by having one application/funding stream.

Please be advised that the CMA is not "now large enough to consider
creating its own version of PRS".  It is difficult to foresee a
scenario where the CMA would ever have the resources to be able to
collect music licence revenues on behalf of PRS or PPL from community
radio stations and, in my personal opinion, whether that would ever be
desirable.

However PRS/MCPS radio licensing is currently undertaken by one single
licence application - and PPL by another.

> My real concern with the present system is that at Felixstowe Radio we have
> a large speech content, and we also play many tracks from artists that are
> not yet registered with PRS. Our output is not specifically recorded by PPL
> - so we pay them more than we should, and our artists don't get to sniff the
> barmaid's apron.

The CMA is in dialogue with PRS and PPL to try to reduce the tariff
imposed by those two organisations on the community radio sector with
regard to music licensing. Your feedback in this regard is welcome,
Trevor.

With best regards

Bill
-- 
Community Media Association
http://www.commedia.org.uk/
http://twitter.com/community_media
Facebook Fans: http://bit.ly/cog8n5

> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Bill Best
> Sent: 26/10/10 10:38 AM
>
> To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
>
> Subject: [cma-l] PRS Community Radio Licence Application and FAQ - your
> feedback required
>
> Hi  Jaqui's not available today to address the issues that some of you have
> recently brought up on the list as she's attending a meeting at DCMS to
> represent the sector to the Digital Radio Marketing Group. Yesterday Jaqui
> was at the "Community Radio and Digitally Networked Business" workshop in
> Port Talbot and met a number of CMA members there.  On 15 October Jaqui and
> I attended a meeting at PRS for Music to discuss issues around music
> licensing for the sector - in particular about MCPS rates which have
> hitherto not yet been charged.  PRS will feedback to the CMA about MCPS
> rates when the relevant PRS board documentation is completed later this
> week.  I'm delighted to say that talks with PRS were productive and the CMA
> has re-established a positive working dialogue with PRS.  In the meantime
> PRS are currently reviewing their Community Radio documentation in advance
> of refreshing it with the new licence information and updated PRS rates. Are
> there any frequently asked questions or items that station managers are
> particularly interested in that require attention or further explanation?
> The PRS Community Radio Licence Application and FAQ is here:
> http://bit.ly/dwnsAF  Please get back to me with any feedback.  Regards
> Bill --  Community Media Association http://www.commedia.org.uk/
> http://twitter.com/community_media Facebook Fans: http://bit.ly/cog8n5