ASCAP royalty fees will no longer be based on station revenue, replaced instead by a set payment schedule that will involve radio organizations paying $1.7 billion to ASCAP and its members between now and 2009.
ASCAP said the deal “establishes significant income increases for our members.”
ASCAP and the Radio Music License Committee have reached an agreement in licensing, calling it the single largest in the history of U.S. radio. The RMLC bargains with the licensing organizations on behalf of most of the country’s commercial stations. Keith Meehan, executive director of the RMLC, and ASCAP licensing executive Vincent Candilora announced the negotiated settlement, which was approved by a federal district court judge.
It provides stations with the right to perform ASCAP music over the air and also as part of a simultaneous stream of their over-the-air signals on their Web sites, the parties said. “It also provides fee certainty to both the radio industry and ASCAP’s members.”
ASCAP’s repertory has 7.5 million copyrighted musical works. The deal finalizes license fees for 2001-03 and sets new licenses for 2004-09. The two sides said they will also benefit from a streamlined administration process.
Radio, ASCAP Reach $1.7 Billion Licensing Deal
Radio, ASCAP Reach $1.7 Billion Licensing Deal
