Evening star., 1926-04-18
COMPOSERS URGE
STANDARD ROYALTY
Hearings to Be Resumed
Tuesday on Arrangement
With Stations.
BY CARL III. BUTMAN,

D1 NAKL Ill. BI IIMAN,
Although it may never affect the
listening public financially, the ether
Gar between authors, composers and
publishers and broadcastars regard
ing the use of copyright compost
tlons is very important. Upon it the
future of brOadcasting depends to u
conaideraPle extent if there is to be
any stability and regularity to it,
both the composers and the own
e"S of brOadcasting stations seem
deSirlous of reaching an agreement,
put although the joint Senate and
House patent committees held hear
1nS fer five days, adjournment was
taken without reaching even the
semblance of an agreement. Further
hearings are scheduled to open
Tuesday at which it is expected
many opposed to the Dill-Vestal
copyright bills will be heard
During the recent hearings most
OF the witnesses favored the bills
under consideration, desiring to stop
the warfare between the composers
and the broadcasting stations by the
enactment of legislation standardiz-
lnS broadcast fees. or at least making
radio broadcasting subject to the
copyright laws in a manner similar
10 the control of copyright music
phonOgraphlc reproduction.
The only opponent to the measures
was Gene Buck, president of the
American Society of Authors, Com
posers and Publishers. who claimed
that Congress should not undertake
price fixing of anything. although he
desires a solution to the existing
broadcast problem. He believes the
proposed bills would confiscate the
rights of the composers by permit
ting all stations to broadcast a selec-
ton licensed to n single station,
which would soon destroy its value.
Stations Willing to Pay.
On the other hand, the broadcast
ers. admitting that they must have
copyright music, say they are willing
10 pay fully and fairly for it, but
they also want some standardized
system of payment and a guarantee
Of permanency in their licenses.
They object to the withdrawal of
plumbers st will by the composers
and urge that Congress apply the
phOnogra phic reproduction paragraph
in the copyright law to radio. estab-
fishing a fair rate for reproduction.
The efforts of the broadcasters to
interest radio fans in their pro-
posals brought floods of communica-
1ions to the members of the joint
committee, including statements from
broadcasting stations that the COM
posers' society was trying to in.
crease the broadcast rates materially
in relicensing stations.
During the hearings w. f. Hark
ness of the A. T. & T. CO.. stated
that the fees charged by the COM
posers had varied greatly, even for
the same class stations. Among the
500-watt stations. he said, the fees
1iuctuated from 500 to S2,500 a year,
or from II cents to S1.60 per hour
of operation. while 1.000watt sta
tions paid between 5000 and $1,000
year and 5.000-watt broadcasters
from $500 to $2500. The highest fees
was for the 1900 waters, being be-
tween $500 and SO, 900 a year. This
covered a scale extending from a low
of II cents per operating hour to
as high as s1.92 per hour, although
the opposition claimed $1.60 a day
was the average rate for these
broadcast fees.
Charles H Tuttle of New York,
counsel for the broadcasters' associa-
ton, declared that the broadcasters'
association and composers society
had almost reached an agreement re-
Gently whereby the society was to re-
ceive about 81 000, 900 a year. This
pay, but wanted a 3-year contract
to insure a continuing program with
fixed rates. However, the society re-
fused to sign up for longer than
wear. This, it was claimed, indicated
that the composers would hold the
broadcasters up for an increase at
the end of the year. so the plan fell
through.
Basic Rates Suggested.
In an effort to establish basic
standard rates for several types of
stations, DR.. Harkness suggested the
following: For broadcasting each
piece of copyright music once, to
100 watt stations would pay cents;
100 to 500 watt stations, cents; 500
to 900 watt stations. cents: l 900
30 5000, 13 cents; 5000 to 5000, 18
cents, and over 5000, so cents. These
figures, it was thought, might be used
by the committee as a basis for fixing
the prices left blank in the Dill and
Testal bills, but it is not now believed
the committee will try to fix rates.
Anticipating that neither his
original bill nor the Dill bill would
find favor with the committee, if the
liking of fees was required Repre-
sentative Vestal Of Indiana filed a
new bill just before the hearings
opened.
The new bill, H.R. 109S7, provides
that radio broadcasters, hotel or
cheStras, cabarets or anybody play
ing copyrighted music shall have the
right to deal directly with the owner
of the music. 1t also provides that
If the owner of the copyright desires
TO reserve the broadcaSting right, he
must so state. fixing the price so that
the broadcaster or whoever wants to
Use it will know exactly what he
9nuSt pay.
1t is required, laso, that the owner
Of the copyright must publish on such
music and on phonograph discs or
cylinders a notice giving the amount
of royalty prescribed when played for
public performance for profit.
Under this plan the copyright
owner fixes his own price. instead of
having Congress do it. When such
music is released for the purpose of
broadcasting to one station. it is also
released to any or all desiring to use
1t. under the new plan.