[Fmpro] Film Music Magazine ASCAP Board Candidate Survey Released

[Mark Northam]

Hi All -

The Film Music Magazine 2007 ASCAP Board Candidate Questionnaire has been
sent to the 12 incumbent ASCAP Board Members, requesting responses by
January 20. I've included the survey questions below and welcome any
comments.  Some additional notes:

* We tried to make the questions as direct, but non-confrontational and
non-"loaded" as possible while still remaining on point and not drifting off
into general questions that invite nonspecific answers.

* We consulted with several performing rights "veterans" in crafting the
questions.

* The survey was sent with a polite explanatory cover letter including a
self-addressed, prepaid envelope to return them in, as well as a fax no. to
send responses to, and was mailed to the home addresses of board members
wherever obtainable from public records. The questionnaire was formatted to
allow plenty of writing space for each response.

* Some on the list may recall this was done 2 years ago as a FMPRO function.
Based on the overall lack of interest in discussing performing rights on the
FMPRO list over the last few months (typically only 10-15 people out of
hundreds on the list join in PRO discussions, largely I assume out of fear
or indifference), we decided to do this as an internal project this year.

* Unfortunately, it appears that ASCAP has chosen to not release the names
of the "handpicked opponents" until only a few days before the ballots go
out, thus eliminating the opportunity for a reasonable period during which
to question and get to know these handpicked candidates. As such, we decided
to proceed immediately with the incumbent surveys and will send
questionnaires to the handpicked opponents as soon as the names are released
and we can determine a good address or email to reach them at.

* We will publish the responses of the candidates as soon as we receive them
- I'll have more details on this coming up.

Best,

Mark Northam
Film Music Magazine

FILM MUSIC MAGAZINE 2007
ASCAP BOARD CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

1) Do you wholly support the current royalty distribution policies of ASCAP?
If not, what specific policy changes would you support?
 
2) Do you support the implementation by ASCAP of digital watermarking
technology or other technology that can track music on television and the
Internet? (Current systems cannot do this.)
 
3) It has been argued that the distribution and tracking policies that
disadvantage instrumental music, such as the ASCAP Weighting Formula which
values a minute of instrumental music on television at only 20% of the value
of a minute of song on the same television program, could be motivating some
writer/copyright owners to accept direct licensing deals. Do you agree with
this?
 
4) Do you believe the makeup of the current ASCAP Board properly reflects
the repertoire of music used by American media? If not, what would you do to
change this?
 
5) For many years, any 25 ASCAP members could nominate someone to be placed
on the ballot for the ASCAP Board of Directors. Recently the ASCAP Board
proposed (and the members approved) a complex formula that has increased
this number to more than 1,000. (This has effectively eliminated any chance
for an independent to be placed on the ballot.) Do you approve of the
current policy?
 
6) Some international PROs have released statistics as to how music is used
in their respective markets, showing the relative amounts of features,
themes, instrumental score and music for advertising used by broadcasters.
Do you believe this kind of information should be available to American
composers and songwriters with regard to usages in the United States?
 
7) It is currently ASCAP policy to pay all music which includes singing,
including songs used as background music, at the feature performance rate,
thus reducing the available pot of money for all other writers. Do you
support this policy? If so, please elaborate.
 
8) Do you believe that ASCAP should make public minutes of ASCAP Board
meetings, including attendance records of Board members?
 
9) Please indicate what you believe are the most important qualifications
for election to the ASCAP Board of Directors:
            
            ___  Willingness and ability to show up at meetings
             ___ Knowledge of ASCAP operations and procedures
             ___ Understanding of how the music business actually functions
today
             ___ Knowing how to write a hit song
             ___ Being a famous person



---------------------------------
Mark Northam - Publisher
Film Music Magazine
The Professional Voice of Music for Film & TV
http://www.filmmusicmag.com
1-800-774-3700 x702 / (310) 645-9000 x702