[Fmpro] ASCAP and Technology

[Mark Northam]

Hi Fernando -

I agree. I think it's clear that the ASCAP Board is out to protect their own
interests, and their choice to keep their own attendance records secret from
the membership speaks volumes as to how they feel about the membership, in
my opinion. 

Problem is, ASCAP is already getting money for ALL the music on the air from
the broadcasters. If they doubled their tracking of music (and paid out a
lot more), they still couldn't get more money since the licenses that
broadcasters already pay for cover all the music. So, better tracking =
smaller slices of the pie for everyone as the pie doesn't get bigger but the
number of payouts does.

I think the Board, regardless of their technical knowledge, is quite aware
of what will happen if they start tracking and paying more music, and simple
human greed is motivating them to find a million excuses why digital
watermarking or other kinds of tracking that would work well for non-song
music (as well as songs). The fact they have hid themselves behind even more
layers of secrecy also supports the position that "transparency" has no
place in their vocabulary. They concoct a sort of siege mentality where
they're afraid of BMI, the Broadcasters, etc, then use that to justify any
and all draconian steps they decide they want to take, like hiding their
attendance records, continuing the outrageously discriminatory payment rates
for non-song, or taking money from all members and building Mediaguide, a
system that primarily benefits songs - the genre of music which has
historically been best tracked.

I don't want to sound hopeless about this all, but it's pretty clear to me
that many on the ASCAP Board are on a "mission" to protect song, and
everything else (including other types of music) and every other kind of
music is considered secondary to that mission.

Best,

Mark Northam


On 2/19/07 4:27 AM, "Fernando Rivas" <rivas2750 at comcast.net> wrote:

> Mark,
> 
> I agree with you in some respects. It seems however that you're still
> pointing at ignorance as a factor when you speak of an ASCAP board that is
> unenlightened.
> 
> Whether they are unenlightened about technology or the role of music we are
> screwed either way.  But my feeling is that ignorance coupled with greed is
> less of a political issue than an educational and technological one.
> 
> It stands to reason that if they could get their hands on more money and
> make a greater percentage they would certainly do it. Even if they had to
> cook their books in the microwave to do it.
> 
> FR

---------------------------------
Mark Northam - Publisher
Film Music Magazine / Film Music Weekly
The Professional Voice of Music for Film & TV
http://www.filmmusicmag.com
Yahoo/Skype: marknortham  /  AIM: mnortham