Antenna :: Publisher Newsletter

After nearly three years as Clearance Facility supervisor, Bow Campbell has transferred to the position of writer services representative in APRA's Member Services Dept.

Consequently the following changes will take place in the CF Section, effective 5 April.

Marcus Baker has been appointed as Clearance Facility supervisor. Marcus has worked at APRA since May 2001, beginning in the Research Section of the Distribution Dept. He joined the CF team in July 2002 as Clearance Facility assistant and became senior Clearance Facility assistant in July 2003. Marcus is intimately familiar with the workings of CF and has a very good understanding of both mechanical and performing rights.

Catherine Healy is the new senior Clearance Facility assistant. Catherine joined the CF team in February 2002 as Clearance Facility assistant, following earlier stints as audit research officer and mechanical registrations assistant. She has done an excellent job as CF assistant and it gives us great pleasure to be able to reward her good service with this promotion.

We are pleased to welcome Veronika Zeharieva to the CF team. She joins Brendan Wixted and Sue Rogers-Harrison as Clearance Facility assistant. Veronika has spent the last few months working on our back catalogue project and was an obvious choice to join CF. In the short time she has been here she has impressed us with her enthusiasm and initiative.

Lastly, please continue to send all CF correspondence to the cmscf@apra.com.au address. Emails sent to this address are received by the entire CF team, Judi Moore and myself. When you reply to an email from any one member of the CF staff, please cc the above address. This will ensure that the whole team is aware of your needs directly.

Lily Nobilo joins Mechanical Distribution

Lily Nobilo will join the Mechanical Distribution Dept at APRA on 17 May, as international copyright administrator. Lily will be familiar to most of you through her many years as copyright/licensing manager at Boosey & Hawkes Pty Ltd. The synchronous closing of Boosey & Hawkes' business in Australia and a vacancy arising in our International Dept has proven fortunate for all concerned. Lily's knowledge and experience in music publishing and copyright will be a great asset for APRA.

Universal and Warners Aust take over NZ accounting

Universal Music NZ and Warner Music NZ Ltd are moving their copyright and royalty administration to their equivalent Australian offices. It is expected that June quarter distributions will be the first made for each under the new arrangements. APRA will be assisting both record companies as much as possible to ensure that all of their release details are added to Australian productions and that unique "NZ Only" productions are added to CF.

Back Catalogue

Our last survey of record companies indicated that approximately 7,000 pre-CF productions are still selling in Australia alone. BMG and EMI are currently submitting back catalogue productions to CF on a regular basis at a rate of 60 a week between them. This figure is likely to increase in the coming months, as APRA is committed to getting all of the majors' back catalogues onto CF. You will be advised as more record companies begin systematically submitting back catalogue to CF.

New email address for AMCOS catalogue changes

All queries regarding AMCOS distributions and mechanical rights catalogue changes should be sent to mech@apra.com.au instead of to any individual APRA mechanical distribution staff member. Emails sent to this address will be received by Michael Filewood and Chris Tourgelis, as well as by Judi Moore, David Bowden & Michele Ziehlke.

If your email needs urgent attention and your regular administrator is absent, you can be certain that someone is dealing with it and if your issue needs managerial input, either Judi or David will respond. It is our hope that this change will lead to an even better level of service to you.