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Butcher's radio ban beef
A BUTCHER has been driven radio ga ga after music industry bosses told him he was flouting the law - by playing a battered transistor in his Rotherham shop.
Mark Gray has played his trusty radio in his Rotherham outlet for 20 years, providing background music for himself and customers.
But he was stunned when music bigwigs rang up and told him he must pay for an entertainment licence.
"I thought it was a joke at first," said Mark, who runs Gray's of Thurcroft. "They phoned me up out of the blue and said they could hear my radio in the background. Next they sent me a letter which said I wasn't allowed to play the radio in a public place without a licence.
What do you think of the Performing Rights Society's attitude? Post your comment below.
"Then they came in the shop and said I was still playing the radio, so would have to buy a 197 licence, throw the radio out or face a fine. It's crazy."
The action was taken by officials of the Performing Rights Society, which has launched a blitz on shops, restaurants and supermarkets across the UK playing music without a licence. Licences cost from 70 to 2,000 a year, depending on the size of the business.
The society represents artists and composers by protecting their copyright over material. Officials have been randomly calling businesses or dropping in after tip-offs.
A PRS spokesman said today: "It is our legal duty to ensure premises are licenced."
But Mark said: "It seems so petty. It wasn't doing any harm or boosting business in any way, just a way of lifting the atmosphere in the shop."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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