We’re always keeping a close eye on what is happening with digital media and the fate of the music world is something we’ve kept close tabs on.
Shop keepers on the Island and around the UK, will be well aware of the Performing Rights Society (PRS) getting in touch with them, asking for money if they listen to the radio or play music within their shops.
It appears that another source of income has been identified by the PRS – self-catering holiday businesses.
The PRS argue that any holiday accommodation that has a radio, TV or CD player in it should pay the PRS for a music licence.
As you might imagine, this hasn’t been well received.
Concern about PRS tactics
The quote from Kevin Smith, CEO of the Chamber, “We would, of course, always advise our members to comply with the law, but in an increasing number of cases, we are concerned about the fairness of the law, the tactics being used by the PRS, and the apparent lack of communication, which means that very often the first businesses know about their liability is when they get a demand for payment.”
We had a good look around the charges page on PRS site, including searching for ‘self catering’ and we couldn’t find a single thing on the site about charges – backing up what Kevin Smith had said.
Island PRS meeting
We read in April’s Island Business magazine that the the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce has arranged for the PRS to come to the Island and explain how it’s going to work.
If you’re interested, it’s going to be at Joe’s Bar in Newport on 18 May.
Image: truplaces
