[Fmpro] ASCAP Composer Bill of Rights

[Kevin Mathie]

Chris,

Thanks for the link. I missed the original Fmpro email that had the  
Composer Bill of Rights (hereinafter CBR) -- plus several subsequent  
digest issues -- due to a lineup of deadlines that were drowning me.  
So, while I kept hearing about it after I resumed reading Fmpro, this  
is the first time I read it.

First off, really nice! Well done, Mark.

I'll bookmark this page and read it again, so as to mull it over, but  
for now I only have two suggestions. Actually my suggestions are  
really based on one thought. The original draft of the CBR reads in  
part (emphasis added):

> 4. The right to know how ASCAP is spending our money - full  
> disclosure by ASCAP for multi-million dollar decisions involving  
> member dollars, such as IMJV, MediaGuide, etc and any other matters  
> other than salaries.

> 8. The right to know the voting records of our board members on  
> issues of importance to us


If I remember correctly, when I joined ASCAP, it touted itself as  
being "owned by its members," or something along those lines. Well,  
if that's still true, then everything ASCAP pays out needs to be  
disclosed to us, even what they pay in salaries. Afterall, it's our  
money they're using! While I can appreciate the desire to keep  
salaries discrete out of respect for the employees in question,  
giving permission for secrecy in this regard can potentially lead to  
abuse. Other organizations owned by "the people" make salaries  
public, so this idea is not without precedent. For example, in the  
state I live in, all state-owned colleges and universities publish  
all salaries of everyone they employ -- professors, administrators,  
janitors, adjunct teachers, et al. And, it's really easy to get that  
info. Just walk up to the school's library and ask for that school's  
current financial report, and it's usually just sitting there in a 3- 
ring binder near the front desk.

Along those same lines, I don't think we should qualify what kind of  
voting records should be disclosed. Who decides what issues are  
"important to us"? No, I think we should drop the qualification, and  
simply state that ALL voting records should be disclosed. Period.

Anyway, that's my two cents. I'll mull things over and see if I can  
contribute at least 3 cents, but, honestly, the bill looks great. I'd  
be willing to back it as it stands right now, even without any  
alteration.

So, Chris, what's next? Is this sort of an open letter to ASCAP that  
they can feel free to ignore? Or is there a game plan that goes along  
with this to get ASCAP to make this Bill of Rights a reality?

Kevin Mathie


On May 8, 2008, at 6:00 AM, fmpro-request at nxport.com wrote:

> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 13:35:48 -0400
> From: Christopher Alpiar <chris at alpiar.com>
> Subject: [Fmpro] ASCAP Composer bill of rights
> To: fmpro at nxport.com
> Message-ID: <7C23A5EE-B194-4084-B47B-38576E54C7DC at alpiar.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset=US-ASCII;	format=flowed;	delsp=yes
>
> Kevin its great you have taken an interest in your fellow composers
> enough to post all that! Now take considerably less energy and talk
> about the ASCAP Composer bill of rights drafted by Mark Northam and
> published at the Composer's Forum here:
>
> http://composersforum.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=773368%3ATopic% 
> 3A37019
>
> If you have trouble signing up on the free composer's forum site that
> Chris Merritt put together just tell me and I can help. If you really
> don't want to join the forum but want to contribute just reply with
> your ideas on this list.
>
> The general state of apathy among composers to have their lives
> treated with dignity and respect is continually amazing me! And I
> guarantee you there would be a whole lot less "ascap bashing" on this
> list if every member took 10 minutes of their precious time and
> contributed to the 12 things we want as composers from the PRO we
> indirectly pay to represent us.
>
> Every one of you upset about ASCAP should be ashamed for bitching
> about ascap and not offering to our collective what you want from
> them. Every one of you not upset about ASCAP should still be
> interested in speaking your mind at least this once, and help shape
> the list of 12 requirements to be fair and just for all composers.
>
> There have been 2 replies to date. TWO. That is less than
> reprehensible. And you claim you are a professional composer or
> someone aspiring to be one? Either way, it is your responsibility to
> discuss these issues if you have ever or plan to ever be compensated a
> penny as a composer. I am willing to put several thousand dollars of
> my time as a web developer into building an app to create a petition
> and sign it electronically like ascap did last month. But you guys got
> to get behind me on this a little bit
>
> Christopher Kennedy Alpiar
> Cinematic Composer
> 937.294.0900 (Dayton Studio)
> 310.339.9603 (Los Angeles)
> 877.294.0912 (Toll Free)
> www.alpiar.com
>