[Fmpro] My ASCAP quarterly statement just showed up!!!!

[Mark Northam]

On 11/21/07 9:33 AM, "Pete" <musical411 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> You only have two things registered with ASCAP. Is
> that their fault? Write more and you'll earn more.
> 
> P e t e
> S u r d o v a l

That's kind of harsh, Pete!

If his work was performed and ASCAP refused to track and pay for it, it
doesn't matter whether the writer has composed 1 work or 100 works. Lousy
tracking is lousy tracking... Just ask any ASCAP member who writes CPA
music. The refusal to implement digital watermarking at ASCAP speaks volumes
as to their attitude towards tracking more music. Not that it would have
helped Les, but it might have. Never forget John Beal's chilling report -
months of broadcasts of the trailer for "The Matrix" that he scored on TV
and not a nickel from ASCAP. That tells the story right there.

Bottom line: ASCAP tracks what it wants to track, and refuses to track
(well) music it doesn't want to track or has arbitrarily devalued in order
to keep other types of music paying high royalties. If more CPA music was
tracked and paid, even at the lousy rate of 3 cents on the dollar for a
minute of music compared to minute of song within a program, it would likely
reduce the rich songwriters' checks unacceptably, so year after year ASCAP
finds excuses why it "can't track" CPA music and finds ways to refuse to
implement the technology that would provide easy tracking of this music. The
end result? Money that can and should be paid to CPA composers gets paid to
other members when CPA performances are not tracked and paid.

Whether someone is rich or not shouldn't affect whether they should be paid
properly for their royalties, and whether someone has written many or few
works shouldn't affect whether their works should be tracked and paid for
those works they do write that are broadcast.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mark Northam



On 11/21/07 9:33 AM, "Pete" <musical411 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> You only have two things registered with ASCAP. Is
> that their fault? Write more and you'll earn more.
> 
> P e t e
> S u r d o v a l

---------------------------------
Mark Northam, CEO
Global Media Development Group

http://www.FIlmMusicMag.com - The Professional Voice of Music For Film & TV

1-800-774-3700 ext. 702 / 310-645-9000 ext. 702
http://www.gmdgroup.com
Yahoo/Skype: marknortham  /  AIM: mnortham