[Fmpro] Film Music Magazine ASCAP Board Candidate Survey Released

[Les Hurdle]

Being  celeb certainly seems the way to go !

L

--- Mark Northam <mark at gmdgroup.com> wrote:

> 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
> 
> 
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