Radio: Tunes Back

Rudy Vallee’s devout theme song, My Time Is Your Time, went back on the air last week after ten months off. So, for a lot of other programs, did a lot of other tunes whose rights are held by the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers. ASCAP and the two big networks, NBC and CBS, had finally ended their bitter tiff, signed on the dotted line.

Terms of the contracts were substantially those agreed on with NBC in August (TIME, Aug. 11). It took three months to get affiliated stations to ratify, though the stations are the principal beneficiaries. Instead of paying ASCAP 5% of net receipts from time sold, as in the old days, they will now rebate to the networks 2¾% of network-derived revenues for the privilege of using ASCAP music. Instead of nothing, as before, on their commercial business the networks will pay ASCAP 2¾% of their net receipts. Network-operated stations will pay 2¾%.

All this means that ASCAP may expect to clear at least $1,000,000 less per year than before.

Weary of a battle that has cost it $4,000,000 in lost revenue this year, ASCAP was glad to sign up for little more than one-third of its original demand (7½% of network commercial revenues). The networks were glad, too. Consulting ASCAP’s catalogue before scheduling practically any piece since Stephen Foster has been a troublesome chore. Mutual, which signed up with ASCAP in May, has found since then that nearly half of its most frequently played songs are ASCAP songs.