[Fmpro] NO one?? PRS changes?

[Mark Northam]

I understand, but without CPA music there would be silent ads, and without
ads, there would be no revenue and no TV stations as we know them today
(other than PBS). As long as we live in a capitalistic society and TV
stations are ad-supported, ads and the music in them are the lifeblood of
the broadcast industry.

Also, from an artistic position, car companies and such are now hiring Danny
Elfman to write music for ads, and the same top songs that are getting such
high rates during a show are being used in ads. So the idea that CPA
performances are virtually worthless sort of falls apart when you consider
the quality and the marquis value of the music now being used in CPA. It's
not little ditties on synths in Ronco ads any more, it's pop songs and music
by big composers (at least in national ads).

Let me put on a songwriter's hat for a moment... Suppose you and I each
write a song. Your song airs for a minute during a program at 8:35pm, and my
song airs on a commercial break at 8:36 pm. Why should my song, when
included in an ad watched by roughly the same number of people who watch the
program the ad is aired in, be paid 97% less than what you would be paid?

I challenge anyone to make the argument that CPA music today is virtually
worthless. It just doesn't wash by any measure - by audience size, marquis
value of those who write or perform it, or even licensing fee - you can bet
that license fees paid by Burger King for a nationwide ad are way, way
higher than those paid by a TV show.

This really shines the light on the dangerous practice of stereotyping -
whether we're talking about people, races, ethnicities or types of music.
It's just too broad a brush to paint people or music with. For every song
that's a big hit, there are thousands with very little commercial value, and
for the same for score music. I think it's high time that the playing field
be leveled for music royalties, and that a neutral measure such as audience
size be used for all royalty payouts. Let that be the EXCLUSIVE
determination of what something is paid, not song/score, not CPA/program
music or any other arbitrary/political choice. It's simple...

The more people who hear your music, the more you get paid.

I can think of nothing more fair than that in terms of broadcast
performances, and it levels the playing field for all. And, the advertising
industry has already paid for extensive tracking of audience size on
virtually every show out there as it's the basis for ad rates.

Your thoughts?

Best,

Mark Northam



On 8/9/07 9:59 PM, "James Ryan" <jeryan at optonline.net> wrote:

>  I spent eight years doing nothing but CPA and was very grateful for the
> income but never kidded myself that I was competing on the same level as
> James Newton-Howard or Hans Zimmer.  CPA has value as a support mechanism
> for the show.  It has very little value to the watcher/listener and the
> ASCAP negotiation only involves what will draw in the audience.