Broadcasting Fees

To this quotation can also be added broadcasting fees, some performing fees and payments from the BBC to Elgar for commissioning a new symphony. The main parties involved in securing these broadcasting fees were the PRS, Novello and other music publishers, and the fees are set out in Source Material 3.

The BBC and the PRS

When the BBC began broadcasting in November 1922, the reaction of the musical establishment was a mixture of distrust, condescension and apprehension. The PRS took a cautious view, not least because the BBC refused to acknowledge that broadcasts were public performances within the terms of the 1911 Copyright Act: ‘It was willing to pay for the use of PRS repertoire, but would not admit formal legal responsibility.’ In the event, the PRS signed an agreement with the BBC in October 1923 which covered broadcasts from six main broadcasting stations. Each of them operated independently with its own programmes. It was for thirteen months and ran from 1 December 1922 to 31 December 1923. The total amount paid by the BBC was £866 13s 4d. Thereafter, a basic £800 was to be paid for 1924 and £1,000 for 1925, with additional amounts for each extra main station opened.