No Money Problems For BMI…

Monday, August, 31, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

BMI picked the wrong time to release their robust revenue figures for fiscal 2009.  At a time when the music industry is at the throats of lawmakers to pass the Performance Royalty Act (PRA), the music licensing giant announces a revenue of $905 million.  BMI also increased their royalty distributions to the songwriters, composers and copyright owners it represents to $788 million.  With a portfolio of more than 6,700 digital media properties licensed, they gained 11 percent in that category. Recession? What recession???

BMI President/CEO Del Bryant took the party line by acknowledging the “extremely challenging economic environment. We understand the significant market pressures faced by the businesses which we license, and we anticipate tough discussions in the year ahead as we negotiate new agreements for the use of our repertoire.”  But Bryant also proudly hailed ”At the same time, we are encouraged by the steady growth in our market share, and in the expanded use of music by both traditional and digital media, both dynamics that drive our licensing income.”  Bryant closed by mentioning BMI’s focus on belt tightening yet the confidence that the licensing giant has to meet the challenges of “this volatile economic landscape as the economy works its way to recovery.” …

While the music industry’s argument about performance rights is that artists aren’t paid the way songwriters, composers and copyright owners are, maybe they shouldn’t be.  All entertainers are paid for their degree of success.  Opening acts aren’t paid like headlining stars nor should they be.  Should an artist get paid the same amount for a limited amount of airplay as a best-selling act?  Name any field — same story.  Since the days of sheet music, most of the rewards went to the songwriters and music publishers, not the artist that sang the song.  That was paid by the record company he or she recorded for.  Not everyone is paid equally.  That’s not confined to the music industry although they’d like to make you believe that… 

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1888] Enter the Ripper: Prostitute Mary Ann Nichols is found murdered in London’s East End. She is generally regarded as the first victim of Jack the Ripper…
2. 1954] Oh Carol: Hurricane Carol hits the northeast killing nearly 70 (60 in New England alone) and resulting in millions of dollars in damage…
3. 1969] Rocky is gone: Undefeated heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano dies in a light plane crash in Iowa, the day before his 46th birthday. Rocky is the only undefeated heavyweight champ in history…
4. 1980] Solidarity begins: Poland’s Solidarity labor movement is born with an agreement signed in Gdansk that ends a 17-day strike…
5. 1985] Gotcha: California’s “Night Stalker” killer Richard Ramirez is captured by residents of an East Los Angeles neighborhood…
6. 1997] Death of a Princess: This was the day that Princess Diana meets her death in that tragic crash in a French tunnel. The world mourns the 36-year old Diana…
7. 2001] Papers please: A Bronx team’s third-place finish in the Little League World Series is ruled invalid because one player is two years older than the age limit of 12…
8. 2002] “Happy Trails“: The legendary Lionel Hampton dies from cardiac arrest at 94…
9. 2005] Trampled to death: Some 1,000 people are killed when a religious procession across a Baghdad bridge is engulfed in panic over rumors of a suicide bomber…
10. 2007] Liar, liar, your pants are on fire: Mike Nifong, former district attorney of Durham County (NC) is sentenced to a day in jail for lying to a judge when pursuing rape charges against three falsely accused Duke lacrosse players…

Music Memories:

• 1974] Released on this date: “Jazzman” - Carole King…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”: Padraig Harrington (38), Deborah Gibson (39), Marcia Clark (56), Richard Gere (60), Tom Couglin (63), Itzhak Perlman (64), Van Morrison (64), Jerry Allison (70) and Daniel Schorr (93)…





         

Timeline Countdown: 7 days until Labor Day, 10 days until the NFL opener and 34 days until the MLB regular season ends… 

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