[cma-l] PRS PPL and DAB trials

Wed Jul 22 12:45:02 BST 2015

[Absolutely but as with many things, the people with the money get the law.]

Exactly so. Small radio stations are completely denied access to justice under the present Copyright Act and tribunal system because of the huge legal costs and that PPL can afford to risk on a case, which would totally bankrupt a small station, or even a group of small stations if awarded against them. PPL has about £30 million cash in the bank.

[That leaves hundreds if not thousands of £s not passed on to perfomers, but included in the licence fee. Where does that go?......]

Broadly speaking any surplus after paying all the company's overheads/admin costs is divvied up prorata among its members on top of the performance-related payments. In 2014 PPL collected £187 million (£74 million of this from broadcasters), and paid out £156 million, the remaining £30 million or so going to pensions, reserves and expenses. In 2014 PPL's CEO was paid £590,000, and the Chairman was paid £180,000. The company paid no Corporation Tax.

BUT on the 'guide dogs for the blind' front, bear in mind PPL is not there primarily to represent the interests of poor up and coming musicians, the bulk of its collections go to record companies for the use of their recordings. (PRS is the principal collecting body for the musicians and composers themselves.)

Alex

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gary Jackson 
  To: The Community Media Association Discussion List 
  Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2015 11:51 AM
  Subject: Re: [cma-l] PRS PPL and DAB trials

  Absolutely but as with many things, the people with the money get the law.

  The PPL are a law unto themselves simply because they have the financial clout. Even a group of community stations would have trouble raising sufficient funds to mount a serious challenge. Last time I checked they were even run by a lawyer.

  I had an interesting conversation with a commercial radio station owner in California a couple of years ago. He had heard that the PPL had been haranguing American stations for money because their online streams could be heard in the UK. Basically the PPL was demanding hundreds if not thousands of pounds each year to cover the tiny number of listeners that may stumble upon their stream here in the UK.

  Of course they did it in the name of those poor exploited musicians who's music was being heard and not receiving any royalties. They make themselves sound like Guide Dogs for the Blind! 

  However, as this guy pointed out, the large stations would never play a British artist who was so unknown that they wouldn't already be covered by the American royalty agencies.

  Which means that these stations would have to pay blanket licence fees to cover a tiny number of listener hours. Something like a total of £10 could be passed to perfomers to account for these listeners, and, as has already been said draconian reporting as well.

  That leaves hundreds if not thousands of £s not passed on to perfomers, but included in the licence fee. Where does that go?..........

  Gary       

  On 21/07/2015 20:30, Ian Hickling wrote:

    So isn't it high time for a concerted legal challenge to what are seen as the Royalty sharks? 
    Why on earth do otherwise sensible people shell out these exorbitant fees without ever asking exactly why and what for?

    Ian Hickling

    Partner

    Office: 01635 578435  (7am-11pm UK time)
    Carphone: 07530 980115 (only responds when driving)
    6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: tlr at gairloch.co.uk
    To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
    Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2015 16:37:06 +0100
    Subject: Re: [cma-l] PRS PPL and DAB trials

    Well, that will come as no surprise to those who have in the past tried to see rationality in PPL's other fees for small-scale broadcasters.
    But of course, the issue of charges for pilot broadcasts is only a reflection of the situation for long-term broadcasters. PPL charges a lot extra for any form of simulcasting, even though any additional value derived from using its repertoire to increase overall audience is already be reflected in and properly recompensed for by the percentage royalty it levies on Net Broadcasting Revenue.
    In truth, PPL already uses a mechanism of sky-high minimum charges to jack up the royalty charges for very small operators way above the levels settled by the Copyright Tribunal, and by insisting on separate licences for each simulcast medium, each with its own minimum fees, it manipulates the system to boost these levies even further.
    Alex

      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: James Cridland 
      To: The Community Media Association Discussion List 
      Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2015 4:11 PM
      Subject: Re: [cma-l] PRS PPL and DAB trials

      "PPL alone in charging broadcasters for DAB small-scale tests"

      PPL, the body that collects music royalty payments on behalf of record companies, has re-affirmed that it plans to charge existing stations an additional fee to simulcast on a nine-month technical trial of small-scale DAB.

      Ofcom is currently testing small-scale DAB multiplexes in a variety of places in the UK, designed to discover whether the technology is suitable for community radio broadcasters. It has waived any licence fee for the tests, which are planned to take nine months. The tests are technical pilots for small local services that may become permanent in future....

      Read the rest of the story at... https://media.info/radio/news/ppl-alone-in-charging-broadcasters-for-dab-small-scale-tests

      You might wish to comment on the story on the website...

      //j

      -- 

      http://james.cridland.net - get my weekly newsletter
      https://media.info - the media information website

      Tel: +44 7941 251474 | @jamescridland

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