[Fmpro] Inside the Business: DOUG WOOD

[Les Hurdle]

Hi Mark, DW,

Thanks for taking the time.

A few comments if I may ;-)

DW constantly refers to 'fair' payment, not once did I
hear 'accurate'.
Who says what is fair?

My wife can provide DW T shirts...... or any other
promo product for anyone out there ;-)

Mediguide is NOT accurate.  It IS at best still only a
survey wherein the data can be manipulated.
Allegedly the cost to have stations report ALL usage
would be around $30M pa......... think about this,
100% accuracy instead of spending money ONLY on
songwriters and MG !!!
MG has to be in profit before 'we' are paid
back....... this is a bit like investing in a rental
building where the managers only rent 90% of the space
in order not to pay investors !!

DW's survey of years ago put non song at 51%.
A Zomba survey put LIBRARY music at between 70-93% of
ALL music on Local TV**

Watermarking.
Seems the problem is computers.. Gertz doesn't have
this problem !!
'Vast improvement' does not equate accuracy nor the
WILL of Execs or Board Members to get it 'right'.
Why doesn't the WILL exist?

Re members providing data in order to be paid.
This is NOT true.
I have had experience where Ms Ellen Meltzer denied
payment to me even though data was provided.
"just because you can do business better than another
member, does not mean you should be paid"... were the
words.
"The survey is paramount".

DW says there must be the 'chance to be paid'.........
why must there be a chance?
This goes along wih 'fair'.
How about the RIGHT of a member to be paid?

DW talks of 8 year of visibility on the Board wherein
he provides facts etc re the impractibilty of surveys
and weightings etc......... who are the people who
ignore him.. names... let's be honest so we can root
them out.

Special Library survey.... a really bad idea [sorry
DW, I always said so]
Payment is left to the whim of Library staff........
really bad idea.
Yet again, discriminatory, not accurate, certainly not
fair !!
But in all 'fairness'.. better than nothing, but for
whom?

DW mentions a 'different' Board has appeared over the
past 8 years.. however, the real power [Publishers]
and the leadership of songwriter interests still
remain.
However, if BM's do not attend...... how is the voting
accurate?

Hmmmmmmm select folk attending ASCAP 'open'
meetings........ no doubt the CEO will never forget
his remarks of a few years ago.... 'ASCAP is NOT a
lyricist society'........  it was a meeting of real
truths and staff bloopers !

Downloads.

I'm not sure I understod the facts here.
If ASCAP IS issuing licenses to those who provide
downloads, does this mean there IS a performing right
attached to a download?

Re payment problems....... why not pay per
play/download?
Why the constant ASCAP excuses?***
Finally, after years of banging the drum, an
acknowledgement WFH folks will be screwed, but DW did
not mention that his fellow Library publishers, many
of them, are also going to scew composers by having
composers give up their mechanical rights !

Agenda.

Why is it EU PRO's pay like usage at 1-1 yet DW simply
wont go there?
PRS currently pays all music at 1-1 24/7 although
certain 'parties' don't like the idea of some folks
making money ;-)

The weighting formula should be history.
Broadcasters pay at 1-1 so should ASCAP.
Why is there such a problem given 'follow the dollar'
** ????? 

Town Councils

ASCAP used to allow members to 'speak up' at meetings,
seldom did anyone get an honest answer re busness.
It was usually 'I'll get back to you'......... they
VERY seldom, if ever, did.

Bottom line......... GREAT stuff by DW, THANKS..... 
but why FAIR?

Why is ACCURATE such a dirty word?

PLEASE...... only vote for the ASCAP people you think
will work for you.... don't vote for a hit list bio.

Les


MN, perhaps you should now have a broadcast with a
panel of 'experts' to dicuss DW's POV and the problems
with the other PRO's.. not just in the USA?




** Don't forget ASCAP moves tens of millions of
dollars per annum from local TV income to Network
distribution !!! 

*** Do they really want accuracy?



 
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