RMLC, GMR Want Radio Stations to Join Settlement
The Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) and Global Music Rights (GMR) reached an agreement that could end long-running RMLC-GMR lawsuits over rights compensation, the entities said in a joint letter Wednesday: “The parties have reached this conditional settlement after more…
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than five years of dueling litigations and great cost to both sides, in terms of both time and money.” The settlement requires GMR to offer commercial radio stations a “negotiated, long term license agreement” that begins April 1. The settlement will be finalized only if a sufficient number of radio stations agree by Jan. 31 to opt in, the letter said. If the settlement is successful, “it will ... give radio stations the opportunity to perform GMR works for several years with rate certainty,” the letter said. If not enough radio stations agree, “litigation will continue.” GMR “has not made any commitment to offer any other license to radio stations after the current interim license expires on March 31, 2022,” the letter said. Wilkinson Barker broadcast attorney David Oxenford told us he couldn’t comment on the specifics of the settlement or say whether broadcasters should opt in, but that rate certainty would be a positive development for most broadcasters. One potential hiccup for broadcasters is that there’s no indication the settlement would provide future oversight for GMR similar to the covenants for other music rights organizations, he said.