Radio Licence – Legitimate or A Scam?!
Today while listening to the news it was brought to my attention that businesses that play the radio now have to buy a licence. Basically, if you play music in the workplace you have to purchase a Performing Rights Licence, which collects money on behalf of musicians.
I totally disagree with this, to me radio is a means of musicians marketing and selling their music, so not only are we overcharged for CD’s but also being charged again to listen to music that maybe we don’t like or simply we just put up with. If the radio didn’t exist musicians would find it extremely hard for a wider audience to hear their latest music. Obviously, this could be argued that we can download the music from the Internet, but isn’t this also illegal too?
ISP’s are supposed to be clamping down on music being downloaded illegally, which personally I think will be completely unmanageable. If people want to listen to music why should we be penalised? What happened to our entertainment licence? It seems to me if you want to be entertained you have to be prepared to pay a costly fee to do so.
According to the BBC article music at work improves productivity but millions of businesses are illegally listening to it. What about the small business that does not have customers listening to it? What about radios in cars that blast music out for everyone to hear it? What about the neighbour who plays music while having a BBQ?
Is this a scam? I would like to listen to your views on this!
It is a scam, but as it is the government they will get away with it without caring what the rest of us think!
Graeme said this on June 21, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I agree but the rebel in me asks why does the Governnment have the right to dictate to us what we can listen to. It is the same old question of when will they tax the air that we breathe!
sharon said this on June 23, 2008 at 8:17 pm