Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
NOVEMBER 18, 1922
VBLISHIN6
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
BROADCASTING INTERESTS WILL NOT PAY ROYALTIES
Conferences Between Publishing and Broadcasting Representatives Result in Declaration That
Radio Men Will Not Pay Royalties for Music U sed—A. S. C. A. P. to Erect Broadcasting Station
The conferences which have been in progress
between the American Society of Composers,
Authors and Publishers and the various com-
mercial radio broadcasting interests, presided
over by E. C. Mills, of the Music Publishers'
Protective Association, came to an end last
week, with the declaration upon the part of the
radio people that while they recognized the
rights of composers and publishers as copy-
right proprietors, they could not, at this time,
afford to pay anything for the privilege of
publicly performing such works.
The gist of their objection to compensation
of composers and publishers seems to be that
they fear that doing so would involve also the
compensation of singers and musicians who play
at their stations, and who have thus far done so
upon a volunteer, gratis basis, deeming the ad-
vertising they have received as sufficient com-
pensation for the time and effort spent.
The radio people point out in the conferences
that they derive no direct revenue from the
operation of broadcasting and that the expense
to which this department now subjects their
general business has reached almost a prohibi-
tive point, and claim that if they had to add
the expense incident to reimbursing copyright
proprietors and paying talent which renders
their entertainment they could not afford to
operate the broadcasting stations.
The musical copyright proprietors counter
with the proposition that they do not propose
that an industry involving the many millions of
dollars in transactions that are taking place in
the radio field shall be built up with their prod-
uct as a foundation and, nevertheless, they, the
copyright proprietors, be denied any participa-
tion whatever in the benefits flowing from the
enterprise. They claim the warrant of law,
which is not denied by the broadcasters, for
their position and claims, and show further that
the radio people cannot hope to secure indef-
initely volunteer talent for free service in broad-
casting their entertainment.
The outcome of the conferences was a veiled
threat upon the part of the broadcasters that
if the copyright proprietors joined the issue
they would simply discontinue broadcasting any
material of which they claimed proprietorship
and limit their broadcasting activities to non-
copyright subjects or works which copyright
proprietors were willing to permit to be broad-
casted without the payment of fees.
To meet the possibility of whatever "plug"
value there may be in connection with broad-
casting being thus lost to its members, the
American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers is installing a modern, high-power
broadcasting station, and within a week or ten
days will be in a position to fill the air with
the compositions of its members should it de-
cide to pursue this course in answer to the im-
pending defi of the broadcasters.
The policy to regulate its program of broad-
casting has not yet been outlined by the So-
ciety. In fact, it is not yet definitely concluded
that it will enter the broadcasting field, but it
has taken the position of being forewarned and
forearmed and prepared for any eventuality.
Certain it is that the so-called "popular" song
interests, of which the Society is mainly com-
posed, have entrenched themselves in a posi-
tion which will make them independent, in the
metropolitan area, of any domination by or de-
pendence upon the broadcasters for such "plug"
value as there may be in radio, upon which
point the publishers themselves are by no means
agreed, some of them believing it is a good
"plug" and others just as earnestly believing
that it is of negligible or no "plug" value at all.
COHAN SHOW^PENS HERE
"Little Nelly Kelly" Has New York City Open-
ing Following Big Run in Boston
"Little Nellie Kelly," this season's musical
show, produced by George M. Cohan, and for
which he furnished the books, lyrics and music,
opened in Boston and played for over fourteen
weeks in that city. The fact that the lease of
the Tremont Theatre expired, and that no other
Boston theatre was procurable, made it neces-
sary to leave that city, although it was playing
to capacity houses. The show this week opened
in New York and will, without doubt, run
for many months. Among the songs are "Little
Nellie Kelly," which is an acknowledged hit,
closely followed .by "You Remind Me of My
Mother," "The Voice in My Heart," "Nellie
Kelly, I Love You," "Until My Luck Comes
Rolling Along." Songs of lesser caliber are
"The Name of Kelly," "All My Boys," "The
Hinkey Dee," "All in the Wearing" and "Danc-
ing My Worries Away." M. Witmark & Sons
are the publishers.
SONGS THAT SELL
Irving Berlin's Latest,
Greatest Song Hit
Homesick
Yankee Doodle Blues
Truly
Some Sunny Day
Night
Send Back My Honey Man
While the Years Roll By
Just a Little Love Song
Early In the Morning Blues
Choo Choo Blues
My Cradle Melody
A w a y D o w n South
Come Along
From Zlegfeld's Follies ol 1922
Don't Bring Me Posies
It's Shoesles I Need
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway,
New York
LEADING SHOWS TAKE WITMARK HITS
CHICAGO, I I I . , November 11.-—M. Witmark &
Sons report a big week on "All Over Nothing
at All," "Say It While D a - - " -" and "For the
Sake of Auld Lang Syne.' <-'These numbers are
features this week at the leading show houses.
Just a plain old fashioned name"
Nou>sellinglike
NOT CUKES ^
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POSITIVEIY
nGUARANTEED MIT'
miD SUREFIRE SELLER.
cSfnolher bighil^LonesomeMama Blues "
J.W. JtMlffS SotfS )\VSIC CO.
KANSAS CITY l\o