RECENT BOARD DECISIONS

The following Membership and Distribution committee decisions were ratified at the 19 February 2004 APRA Board meeting.

• APRA will amend any local music cue-sheets lodged with it where they are found by internal monitoring (ie, taping and timing) to be inaccurate. APRA to notify interested parties of such amendments as soon as possible.
  
  
• APRA will, where possible, create music cue-sheets for programs monitored when such cue-sheets cannot be obtained from third parties in time for distribution.
  
  
• Advertising tags will, in the absence of a stated duration, be paid at 5% of the total value of the full commercial or, if the duration of the tag is provided, that tag will be paid at the relevant percentage of 30 seconds.
  
  
• The retrospective claim period for self-reporting systems for Live Performance Returns, Jingle Reporting Forms and Ambient Music claims will be limited to one year. It may be extended to up to three years where appropriate extrinsic evidence (ie, going beyond a mere claim supported by statutory declaration) is provided in support of the claim.
  
  
• Live Performance Returns submitted by DJs will be paid at the same rate as conventional LPRs. An appropriate sum (that will be calculated and approved by the Board annually) will be deducted from the dance club pool and allocated to the LPR pool accordingly.
  
  
• In relation to the unlogged performance pool:
  
  
• a. APRA has adopted the principle that in order for an allocation to be made the source of the performance must be licensed;
  b. applications for Music On Hold performances will not be accepted because there is an existing system of allocation in place for music on hold;
  
  
• That the Board consider a policy of waiving any licence back administration fees where the nature of the performance causes no administrative difficulties in relation to standing blanket licences.

APRA's Distribution Rules and Procedures documents will be amended to reflect these changes.

Dates for future APRA and AMCOS Board meetings are listed in What's Coming Up.