[cma-l] PPL & PRS for Music Joint Licence for Community Radio

[Canalside's The Thread]

Dear All

 

I suggested to PRS/PPL back in 2011 that would it not make sense for all
concerned to have :-

 

1)      One collection point

2)      One fee covering everything

3)      One fee (be it either a minimum fee or an average fee)

 

Like quite a lot of my suggestions over the years, they were dismissed and
laughed at. Very odd though that 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 years later down the line we
always end regurgitating them and tagging them with ‘’ah, that’s not a bad
idea’’    or actually implementing them full stop. Remember that most do
actually agree but fall under the category of the ‘silent majority’

If you would like me to give you a list of those observations, pointers etc
I can do ---- I’m up to 15 at the moment on my list, which is exactly the
same number as my ‘’well I told you so’s’’

 

Best if we get to the nitty gritty though

 

We have to face up to the fact that in all changes of things and tweaks to
things some folk will be slightly better off and some will be slightly worse
off (that’s life) 




. But alas ----- unless we start working as a team
and a fraternity we will forever be going around in circles and being picked
off one by one and walked on by the authorities.

 

I hope at the AGM this year we actually walk out of the place at 5:30pm with
a clear vision as to     what works, what doesn’t work, what we have
concerns about, and most importantly what are we going to do about it, as
whinging for the next 14 Years (me included) is not acceptable. I would also
hope that we stop being nicey nicey all the time and face up to the fact
that sometimes sadly we have to be controversial and we have to say the
things that are maybe not pleasant.

 

I’m afraid with this PRS/PPL malarkey it does drop on my ‘’well I told you
so list’’           unless I have missed something, we haven’t really gained
anything ???   or that’s how it seems.

I hear what Bill is saying and there are some changes to the DAB malarkey
however, the truth is, the majority of us couldn’t even afford a Yogurt
Carton and a piece of string, let alone DAB 

 so it’s a none starter.

 

NBR or whatever you call it in relation to Community Radio    HAS TO GO BON
VOYAGE / DUMP IT !    it rubs against everything we stand for, I have been
saying this since day dot. We (Canalside) do not fill this form in as I
refuse to do so. I suggest everyone else (all 270) do exactly the same. It
isn’t NET it is GROSS 



. And Gross has no bearing on what we do.

We (Community Radio) are charitable, With some actually fully fledged
charities, all not-for-profit and the rules that we operate under (or is
that Straight-Jacket?) means we do exactly what it says on the Can/Tin.

 

With this in mind (I repeat) come the end of the financial year be that in
our case November but others maybe April the end result is = not a Pot to
Pee in. What do PRS/PPL/DCMS etc not understand about that ??  it seems
quite simple to grasp.

 

Our report is NOTHING TO REPORT apart from the fact on average we play 9
songs per-hour. If that changes we will inform PRS/PPL    we shouldn’t have
to keep informing them every 12 Months.

Come November our Pockets are empty.

 

I didn’t really fill the consultation in for a number of reasons :-

 

1)      They already know my/our thoughts on this as I have told them
directly on at least 20 occasions since 2008

2)      It isn’t a consultation really coz the folk at the other end aren’t
reading it, nor are they listening

3)      The Agenda (if we are being honest with each other) couldn’t really
give a flying cactus about us, it was more for making things easier for
PRS/PPL          not actually a crime, but hey, can we not work together on
this please ?

4)      And finally --- when Lucy and Laura (who are two lovely people may I
add) were in Birmingham, the whole exercise was pointless. Just like all the
other nonsenses    ie:- BBC man etc etc     we sit for an hour being told
what the rules are (we already know the rules)(in fact I know them better
than the authorities)    they tell more small print, yet again what we
already know and then hey presto we get to Bingo time and we’ve run out of
time because someone has a Train to catch. This is NOT a consultation, it is
a stitch up. As long as we tip toe and pussyfoot along with it we will for
ever be on the receiving end.

 

My suggestion is a couple of Grand (£1600 - £2000) for the LOT 


.. this
includes the FM and Internet for both and in our case here at Canalside – if
we wish to run a small 100/200 stream training facility for the youngsters
that gets chucked in for free. We make no money from this whatsoever but
they charge us. We feel so strongly about it that we will possibly be
stopping the payments now as this consultation seems to have achieved not
much at all.

 

Finally, there is NO REPORTING as there is nothing to report. When we have
paid all of our bills we end up with not a sausage and then we start afresh
the following year.

This is all plain sailing and common sense to me 
.. trouble is when
Community Radio started Common sense went out the window.

 

Absolutely finally I would like to put my suggestion forward and ask if the
CMA and Members will back it. If not, then that’s fine, but a word of
warning ---- you/we are now at a crossroads, get some fire in your bellies
(take note) or else Community Radio in the next number of years in the main
will start to fade away, and that would be a travesty after all the hard
graft we have each put in.

 

Obviously, those just on T’internet would pay about £600 quid-dish ??

 

Just done the Maths, and as you know I’m not very good at Maths (nor English
LOL)     and to my calculation 270 x £2000 = £540,000 unless I have the
decimal point in the wrong place (sorry if I have got this wrong)
that’s not a bad little guaranteed tickle though for Chrimbo

 

Thank you

 

H Dumpty / Doormat FM

 

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Ian Hickling
Sent: 01 December 2016 17:17
To: The Community Media Association Discussion List
<cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk>
Subject: Re: [cma-l] PPL & PRS for Music Joint Licence for Community Radio

 

 

That's Stanford University and US law - no relevance over here fortunately.

 

Ian Hickling

Partner

 <http://www.transplanuk.com/> 

Office: 016 3557 8435  (07h to 22h GTS)

Car: 075 3098 0115 (only responds when driving)

6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS

  _____  

From:  <mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk>
cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk <
<mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk>
cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk> on behalf of Tony Bailey <
<mailto:ravensound at pilgrimsound.co.uk> ravensound at pilgrimsound.co.uk>
Sent: 01 December 2016 16:39:26
To:  <mailto:cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk> cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
Subject: Re: [cma-l] PPL & PRS for Music Joint Licence for Community Radio 

 

The term "licence" or "license" is used by an authority but it has also been
used to give rights under an agreement:

http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/introduction/permission-tools-licenses-
and-releases/

Tony Bailey

On 01/12/16 14:03, Ian Hickling wrote:

 

That's very informative - thank you.

But they've left out (or - Heaven forbid - ignored) two important aspects of
the responses to their Joint Consultation:

 

1 - If this is a Licence - as opposed to a Service Charge - why isn't it
issued by the only Licensing Authority in the system - which is Ofcom?
PRSfM and PPL are commercial businesses - not Licensing Authorities

 

2 - Despite many requests - there is still no categorical statement as to
why PRSfM and PPL are entitled in Law to claim these payments - and
precisely where this is written in UK Legislation.

 

Sorry - I know I've asked this many times before - but it's something we do
need to have laid before us - and by the very people who are making these
far-reaching demands.

My feeling is that broadcasters large and small who part with their
hard-earned cash before being happy with the answers are rather unwise.

This isn't going to go away.
It makes no odds to us - we don't pay these charges - it's you out there,
our friends and loyal Clients, that I'm concerned about.

 

Ian Hickling

Partner

 <http://www.transplanuk.com/> Office: 016 3557 8435  (07h to 22h GTS)

 <http://www.transplanuk.com/> Car: 075 3098 0115 (only responds when
driving)

 <http://www.transplanuk.com/> 6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/cma-l/attachments/20161202/3d74478d/attachment.html>