THIRD SECTOR COULD BE SILENCED

CHRISTMAS parties and fundraising events could be
silenced by music scrooges who will charge voluntary organisations for playing music.

A new system, which starts in April 2010, means community groups will have to apply for a licence that pays for artists’ royalty fees – or not play music at all.

The fee, which is still being
decided, will go towards to the composers, protected by the Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) and performers protected by the Performance Rights Society (PRS for
Music).

But it has left small groups outraged that precious money raised to help their cause will be wasted on buying the licence.

The Mercia MS Therapy Centre, in Macefield Close, Aldermans Green, needs around £130,000 a year to run its centre for people with multiple sclerosis.

Terina Fellows, centre administrator, said: “It’s always difficult to raise money, but this year we are finding it even harder.

“It’s not fair that charitable groups have to pay. Even if it doesn’t cost much, it will soon add up.

“We regularly have get-togethers with ex-members or Christmas
parties where we play music.

“I guess we’ll have to have the party in silence or sing to ourselves if we can’t afford the licence.”

And homeless charity Emmaus, based in Brinklow Road, Binley, echoed these thoughts.

Kieron Dunne, of Emmaus, said: “We want any money we raise to go to our cause and not to pay the
artists.

“I guess they have been hit hard
because of downloads and I can appreciate they need to claw back money from that, but it seems
harsh they’re targeting charities.

“We want to be law-abiding, but if the price is quite high then we might have to re-think any summer fetes or events we were planning that would involve music.”

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is asking for PPL and PRS to review the decision.

Stuart Etherington, chief executive
of NCVO, said: “It is shameful that money intended for charitable causes will go on paying royalties for
playing music.

“Events like these often raise no more than a few hundred pounds but this is vital income for charities.

“This scheme will make it
impossible for small community-based charities or organisations to play music at their social and fundraising events because of the cost involved.

“It will effectively spell the death of the charity tea dance in a village hall or a fund-raising disco in aid of a good cause.

“We call on PPL and PRS for
Music to review this decision and not charge organisations who are fundraising for the good of their com-munity.”

But the music companies have
defended their decision and said they are conforming to EU laws that were passed in the ’90s.

Fran Nevrkla, PPL’s chief executive
officer, said: “This is a welcome move by the government which gives our performers and record companies equivalent rights to those enjoyed throughout the rest of Europe.

“We have already started the
dialogue with the charity umbrella organisations and we are determined to reach an agreement with them which is both easy to administer
and fair to the charities and to the musicians and labels who produce the music they wish to use.”

What do you think? Write to us or email timesletters@mrn.co.uk.