c. 1997 Religion News Service
UNDATED _ Christian songwriters and the radio stations that air their music are involved in a bruising tug of war over the fuel that keeps both going _ money.
On one side is the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), who have long felt their member radio stations pay too much for the licenses that allow them to play Christian music. On the other side are Christian songwriters, who say they are struggling economically and already earn far less than secular songsmiths.
The debate _ a conflict that arose when middlemen first became involved in the distribution of artistic material _ has sharpened as Congress considers proposed legislation to revamp the royalty system under which fees are paid to artists.”The net effect of this legislation is that it will (cut) the earnings of Christian songwriters by 50 percent,”said Frank Breeden, executive director of the Christian Music Trade Association in Nashville.
Breeden said some NRB members”have gotten very passionate about this plan and have moved it into this legislative mode without realizing what the ripple effect would be to the Christian songwriters.” The NRB, however, counters that the current licensing process is not equitable for Christian broadcasters who run for-profit commercial stations that play a limited amount of music. Non-profit stations have separate licensing agreements.”We’re motivated by fairness,”said Brandt Gustavson, president of the Manassas, Va.-based NRB.”We want fairness in it all.” NRB has been urging its members to lobby lawmakers to support the proposed legislation, sponsored by Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis.”Under current rules, the licensing monopolies are charging religious broadcasters three to four times more than they charge other stations that play music all day long,”the NRB argued in a recent mailing to its members, referring to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), and SESAC, formerly the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers.
The songwriters and broadcasters have begun discussions to better understand each other. And, while the talks have been described as civil by some, harsh words have been heard from individuals on both sides of the divide.”The selfish agenda the NRB proposes to enact via H.R.789 and S.28 will devastate one of American Christianity’s greatest treasures _ our rich heritage of Gospel music,”wrote Robert Sterling, head of the newly formed Coalition for the Protection of Americas’ Gospel Music Heritage. He also called proponents of the legislature”self-serving profit mongers of the NRB.” Russ Hauth, executive director of the NRB Music License Committee issued a responding statement, stating,”Mr. Sterling intemperately and erroneously maligns the motives of Christian radio stations but has never even contacted us.” In an interview, Sterling reiterated his view that the NRB-backed legislation is”essentially selfish,”and said his role defending fellow songwriters is an unusual one.”Songwriters are not a confrontational lot by nature,”he said. But, he added, the legislation has prompted several songwriters’ organizations to form a coalition against it.”This is a property rights issue that should be settled in the marketplace and has no business before Congress,”Sterling said.”This is my property that they’re trying to use and trying not to pay for. I don’t believe I have any way of dictating to them what they charge for their advertising rates, for example, and I don’t think they want that issue settled in Congress.” (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)
Speaking from personal experience, Sterling said Christian songwriters do not make”a lot of money”from performance licensing organizations, such as ASCAP.
Sterling wrote”God Is With Us,”a hit song in 1995 by Point of Grace, a Christian pop group.”My income from that as the sole writer … will not exceed $4,000,”he predicted. A writer of a hit country single would generate income in the six-figure range, he said.”People don’t understand how songwriters get paid,”said Sterling.”They think we’re all rich.” Sterling said most Christian songwriters augment their incomes by working as performers, producers, arrangers or publishers.
(END OPTIONAL TRIM)
Asked about the songwriters’ concerns that their income would be reduced under the proposed legislation, Gustavson said,”We are understanding of some of that, but we’re not asking for that which is not fair and equitable.” Said Sterling in response,”I genuinely believe that what they’ve got is more than fair.” Despite the disagreement, there are efforts to continue talks between the two sides.
Some NRB representatives attended the early May meeting of the Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA) in Scottsdale, Ariz., and on May 5, some music publishing officials met with Gustavson.
Neither side said much publicly about the meetings.”We have met with (CMPA) leaders at their convention … and although we have differences we’ve mutually agreed to private talks in a civil manner,”said Chuck Merritt, communications director of the NRB Music License Committee.
Breeden said another meeting scheduled for early June is expected to include more representatives from both the broadcasting and the songwriting fields.
MJP END BANKS
