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If Congress forces AM radio into every car, it should also force AM radio to pay artists, says open letter to US lawmakers

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Radio royalties • 3 min read

If Congress forces AM radio into every car, it should also force AM radio to pay artists, says open letter to US lawmakers

Proposals are moving through US Congress that would force car manufacturers to ensure that every vehicle still has an AM radio in it. The automotive sector has now joined with the music industry to argue: if that is going to happen, US radio should be forced to pay royalties to artists and labels…

Chris Cooke • 05 Jun 2025

BBC says it won’t ban Kneecap from its Glastonbury coverage

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Kneecap • 2 min read

BBC says it won’t ban Kneecap from its Glastonbury coverage

Glastonbury has confirmed that Kneecap will play this year’s festival on the West Holts stage, which is livestreamed by the BBC. Despite all the controversies surrounding the group, the BBC says it doesn’t ban artists who are playing the festival, but will apply “editorial guidelines” to their set…

Chris Cooke • 05 Jun 2025

Boom Radio welcomes OfCom ruling blocking BBC’s plans for golden oldies radio station

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BBC • 3 min read

Boom Radio welcomes OfCom ruling blocking BBC’s plans for golden oldies radio station

Media regulator OfCom has told the BBC that it can’t launch a new Radio 2 spin-off station playing music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The planned new station was heavily criticised by commercial golden oldies station Boom Radio, which said the planned new BBC service would be unfair competition…

Chris Cooke • 11 Apr 2025

Ad regulator criticises Viagogo over Ed Balls advertorial

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Viagogo • 4 min read

Ad regulator criticises Viagogo over Ed Balls advertorial

Viagogo has been given yet another slap on this wrist - this time over a misleading promotional segment as part of the ‘Political Currency’ podcast from Westminster double act Ed Balls and George Osborne. Unsurprisingly it turns out that “over half the events” on Viagogo are not, in fact, a steal…

Chris Cooke • 10 Apr 2025

BBC abandons controversial plan to sell ads on its podcasts in the UK

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BBC • 3 min read

BBC abandons controversial plan to sell ads on its podcasts in the UK

Last year the BBC announced it would start putting ads alongside its podcasts on platforms like Spotify within the UK. Commercial media companies argued that that would have a significant adverse impact on the UK podcast market. As a result, the BBC has abandoned its plan…

Chris Cooke • 31 Mar 2025

Payola back in the spotlight as FCC boss asks about artist deals at upcoming iHeart festival

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iHeart • 3 min read

Payola back in the spotlight as FCC boss asks about artist deals at upcoming iHeart festival

US media regulator the FCC recently warned broadcasters that pressuring artists to play their events for free in return for airplay likely constitutes illegal payola. Now the FCC wants to know what radio giant iHeart is paying artists playing one of its festivals in Austin this May…

Chris Cooke • 26 Feb 2025

Radio royalties back on US Congressional agenda - including a bizarre “do nothing” bill

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Radio royalties • 3 min read

Radio royalties back on US Congressional agenda - including a bizarre “do nothing” bill

The music industry has been campaigning for decades to end a quirk of US copyright law that means AM/FM radio doesn’t pay royalties to artists and labels. Proposals for ending the quirk have been reintroduced in Congress, as have rival proposals backed by the radio sector that promote the status quo…

Chris Cooke • 17 Feb 2025

The BBC has revised its plans for four new radio stations, but critics say they should still be blocked

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BBC • 3 min read

The BBC has revised its plans for four new radio stations, but critics say they should still be blocked

Earlier this year the BBC announced plans to launch four new radio stations, spin-offs of Radio 1, 2, and 3. It then began a public interest test and, based on that, has revised its plans, especially in relation to the Radio 2 spin-off. However, that hasn’t placated critics of the new stations…

Chris Cooke • 27 Nov 2024

US rights organisation SESAC welcomes 10% increase in radio royalty rate

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SESAC • 2 min read

US rights organisation SESAC welcomes 10% increase in radio royalty rate

Songwriters allied to American collecting society SESAC will see an increase in royalties from radio airplay after an arbitration panel ruled on a new licensing agreement between the rights organisation and the US radio sector…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2024

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BBC • 2 min read

BBC Chair says the “fight is on” to protect the UK’s “wonderful” public service broadcasters

BBC Chair Samir Shah will make a number of demands of the government and media regulator OfCom in a speech tomorrow in a bid to ensure that the UK’s public service broadcasters can continue to compete in a market increasingly dominated by global platforms like those run by Netflix, Amazon and Disney…

Chris Cooke • 04 Nov 2024

Bauer utilises changes to broadcasting laws to remove regional shows from Greatest Hits Radio

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Greatest Hits Radio • 2 min read

Bauer utilises changes to broadcasting laws to remove regional shows from Greatest Hits Radio

The UK Media Act passed earlier this year removed the remaining obligations on commercial radio stations operating under local radio licences to broadcast locally-made programmes. As a result, Bauer has announced it is axing the regional afternoon shows that air on Greatest Hits Radio…

Chris Cooke • 25 Oct 2024

BBC Chair says neither subscriptions nor ads would work as future funding models

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BBC • 3 min read

BBC Chair says neither subscriptions nor ads would work as future funding models

How the BBC should be funded in the future was discussed in the House Of Lords yesterday. There has been much speculation over the years that a subscription model might eventually replace the current licence fee funding system. But BBC Chair Samir Shah told the Lords that wouldn’t work…

Chris Cooke • 11 Sep 2024