Public Radio To Pay $1.8 Million In Royalties

After many months of negotiating, digital royalty collector SoundExchange and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting have come to an agreement on Internet royalties for non-commercial educational public radio. The arrangement, which stems from a controversial May 2007 ruling of the Copyright Royalty Board, covers a period from Jan. 1, 2005 through Dec. 31, 2010. Under the deal, SoundExchange will receive a single payment of $1.85 million plus consolidated usage and playlist reporting from CPB on behalf of the entire public radio system. The settlement will cover about 450 public radio webcasters including CPB supported stations, National Public Radio, NPR members, National Federation of Community Broadcasters members, American Public Media, the Public Radio Exchange, and Public Radio International. NPR has also agreed to withdraw its appeal of the CRB royalty rate decision. "This important agreement will ensure that the artists heard on public radio station Web sites will receive compensation and will enable public radio webcasters to continue to meet their public service, non-profit missions," CPB President Pat Harrison said.