On This Day: ASCAP Formed

You may also like...

1 Response

  1. mike weber says:

    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?