Bacta Music Users Group Agree Fee Rebate With PPL

26th July 2021 – PRESS RELEASE

 

Bacta’s recently formed Music Users Group has negotiated a valuable fee rebate from PPL for its members.

 

Following a meeting on 8 July between PPL and Music Users Group Chairman David Gershlick and bacta CEO, John White PPL confirmed that it would waive its fee for sited jukeboxes during the 20/21 lockdown (20 March 2020 to 19 March 2021) and would permit a further 50% allowance on fees up to the date the main trading restrictions come to an end – July 19th in England. A note of the arrangement will be sent to jukebox operators shortly by PPL PRS who license jukebox operators on behalf of PPL.

“I am delighted with this outcome,” says Gershlick. “It has been an incredibly tough year for operators and PPL has recognised this as well as the fact that even if on, jukeboxes weren’t taking money and might as well have been switched off. They were only on for updates and given legal decibel restrictions juke box users soon realised they couldn’t enjoy their usual range of music and simply did without. With pubs and clubs hopefully getting back to near normality once social distancing and sound limits are removed, we look forward to an increase in takes and will be happy to once again pay the copyright fees collected by PPL.”

Richard Stewart Head of Dubbing & Tariff Development at PPL said of the decision, “PPL appreciates that in the vast majority of instances, jukeboxes have not been in operation since March 2020. This has been due to a combination of national and local lockdowns, local authority regulations and different approaches in the various countries of the UK..

“PPL has already made a number of temporary and non-precedential changes to the fees payable by PPL licensed music suppliers to assist them in these exceptional circumstances. As the country begins to return to normality and the various national lockdowns are eased PPL PRS will be renewing jukebox operators’ licences in accordance with this arrangement. I am pleased that we have been able to find a mutually acceptable solution.”

John White, CEO of bacta concluded, “We are very grateful to the PPL for recognising the situation facing our members and for acting so promptly. It is a great start to the work of the Music Users Group and demonstrates the value of collectively working through bacta on common issues and taking a single voice to our stakeholders where something needs to be done.”

ENDS

About PPL

PPL is the UK’s music licensing company for over 120,000 performers and recording rightsholders. We have been licensing the use of recorded music in the UK since 1934.

About Bacta

Bacta represents the owners and operators of over-18 amusement centres (AGCs), seaside amusement arcades, and the companies that hire machines to pubs, clubs, bowling alleys, bingo halls and similar venues.  It also represents the manufacturers and distributors of all types of gaming machines and amusement equipment ranging from children’s rides, to jukeboxes, fruit machines in pubs and clubs, redemption machines, crane grabbers, penny falls, tuppeny nudgers, test your strength machines, videos, and pool tables.

 

www.bacta.org.uk

 

Kind regards,
Steph Norbury – Managing Director, Upgrade PR Ltd. 
Contact General inquiries: +44 (0) 7887 928819
Email inquiries: steph@upgradepr.com