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BMI Extends Contract for President/CEO

O’Neill will remain with music rights organization through 2021

The board of Broadcast Music Inc. will extend Mike O’Neill’s contract. He will continue to serve as the president and CEO for at least five more years.

O’Neill has worked at BMI for two decades in roles spanning its writer, composer and publisher relations group, licensing organization, royalty distribution group and administrative services teams. He joined in 1994 as director of group and national accounts, and was appointed CEO in 2013. BMI added the title of president one year later. He also serves as a member of the board.

Prior to BMI, O’Neill was director of affiliate relations at CBS TV networks.

“BMI has continued to thrive and evolve under Mike’s leadership, providing both the stability and innovation needed in a rapidly changing marketplace,” Chairman Paul Karpowicz said in the announcement. “The company is on track to once again generate record revenues and distributions to our music creators and copyright owners and remains committed to fighting for and preserving the fair value of our affiliates’ music.”

The organization was founded by radio industry leaders in 1939 at a National Association of Broadcasters convention in Chicago after ASCAP sought to double license fees to the radio industry.

BMI generated $1.013 billion in 2015, the highest in its history. It said it distributed a record $877 million and for the first time took in more than $100 million in digital revenue, making it the first performance rights organization to do so.

O’Neill is honorary chair of the BMI Foundation and holds a seat on the board of the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation.

Read a history of BMI.

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