Splinter group rallies against PRS TV policy.

Row reignites over new weighting system for TV music

by Robert Ashton

PRS's proposed new TV music distribution policy faces a baptism of fire with a militant group of composers already calling for the system to be scrapped.

The row, which reignited at the collecting society's AGM last Thursday, comes as PRS readies itself to make its first distribution to members using a weighting system that the society says is fairer to its 46,300 members, in rewarding those whose shows are watched by larger audiences.

Under the new weighted system, composers with music that is played between 6pm and midnight - in primetime slots - will be rewarded more handsomely than those whose work is featured on TV channels before 6pm. While previous payments were distributed equally, a new 2:1 weighting will be applied to favour music played in primetime.

The first pay-out will be made around mid-July and, according to PRS chairman Ellis Rich, some 9,000 of the society's 46,300 members will be affected by the changes. However, he says 66% - 6,000 members - will be affected by less than #5 either way and only 4% will be adversely affected by more than #50.

But, already the changes are meeting resistance from a group of composers and publishers, including Paul Rodriguez and Paul Farrer. Rodriguez, who publishes music for programmes such as Pokerface, The Weakest Link and National Lottery, says the royalty pot is negotiated in a blanket way and should, therefore, be distributed in the same way - on a flat-rate basis.