Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:02PM1 comment ›
Wed Feb 13, 2008 — by Shira Gregory
On This Day: ASCAP Formed
Rights for composers, authors and publishers of music organized
It seems only fitting that on the week the WGA strike comes to an end, it's also the anniversary of another organization formed to protect the rights of artists.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, also known as ASCAP, was created today in 1914 in New York to help protect the copyrighted musical compositions of its members.
Some of ASCAP's earliest members include Irving Berlin and John Philip Sousa. ASCAP continues to work for its members' protection, making sure artists get paid for their creativity.
Really, though -- someone should've come up with another acronym. To put this delicately, saying "ASCAP" out loud does conjure up feelings of constipation.
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Comments (1)
mike weber (1:00 PM on Wed Feb 13, 2008)
Nah. When someone says "ASCAP" arouind me, i look for a duck that's trying to sell me insurance.
It's instructive to note that ASCAP's restrictive policies regarding radio play led to the formatiuon of BMI in 1939/40 - from Wikipedia:
{quote}
Many composers didn't want their music performed or played for free, but some radio broadcasters grew reluctant to honor ASCAP license fees, and in 1940, during negotiations with ASCAP over rates, radio broadcasters formed Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) in an effort to drive down licensing fees.
During a ten month period lasting from January 1 to October 29, 1941, music licensed by ASCAP (1,250,000 songs) could not be broadcast on NBC and CBS radio stations. Eventually, public demand forced the two radio broadcasters to contract for the new rates. A smaller network, the Mutual Broadcasting System, settled in May 1941.
{end quote}
(This is a tad biased; performers were also inmvolved in the founding of BMI, since the ASCAP ban - mostly pushed by composers/publishers - was keeping performers from gettng the publicity for their new records represented by radio play. I'm nopt sure if, at that time, the performer received any money for airpolay at all.)
Does this resonate with any (very) recent events in the creative community?