Radio Music License Committee Reaches 'Conditional' Settlement With Global Music Rights

Global Music Rights: Settlement Near?

The RADIO MUSIC LICENSE COMMITTEE (RMLC) has reached a conditional settlement agreement with IRVING AZOFF's GLOBAL MUSIC RIGHTS (GMR), ending long-running lawsuits between the parties. GMR will send each broadcaster a direct communication about the settlement, which it says will be confidential and should not be discussed outside the station's radio group.

The parties have reached this conditional settlement after more than five years of dueling litigations and great cost of time and money to both sides. The conditional settlement recognizes a shared desire by both sides to resolve these disputes and to find a way for radio stations and GMR to work together on a long-term basis without repeatedly resorting to litigation.

GMR says the resulting conditional settlement reflects its commitment to treat all similarly situated radio stations consistently and to ensure that radio stations have access to the performance rights broadcast radio currently needs, as well as those it may need in the future as the business evolves and grows.

The conditional settlement also reflects changes in the licensing landscape, including growth in GMR’s roster, since the parties filed these lawsuits five years ago.

Both parties' boards have voted to approve the conditional settlement, which requires GMR to offer commercial radio stations a negotiated, long term license agreement that begins on APRIL 1st. The settlement is “conditional” because it will be finalized only if a sufficient percentage of radio stations opt into the settlement by signing the form license agreement that RMLC and GMR negotiated. The negotiated form license agreement, along with annual license fees, will be sent to stations directly by GMR.

If an insufficient percentage of radio stations accept the negotiated license with GMR, the settlement will not be finalized and the litigation will continue. If this settlement fails and the litigation continues, there is no guarantee GMR will make another license available to stations.

All stations which wish to enter into the GMR license will need to sign and return the license sent by GMR in an email by JANUARY 31st.

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