The Radio Music License Committee says it has filed a motion to protect radio stations across the nation, and specifically in Pennsylvania, against Irving Azoff’s Global Music Rights. The RMLC filed an antitrust lawsuit in the federal court in Philadelphia late last year against the music licensing organization, based on GMR’s “attempt to require commercial radio stations to pay prices for music performance licenses that are unfairly high and anticompetitive.”
An RMLC press release on Monday stated that it would not negotiate or enter into licenses with stations owned by companies headquartered or based in Pennsylvania; GMR made it clear that it will maintain this position unless these stations and the RMLC relinquish important legal rights against GMR. In addition to the radio stations that operate out of the state of Pennsylvania, Entercom is headquartered in that state.
The RMLC release went on to say, “Although GMR is currently targeting these Pennsylvania-based entities, the RMLC is acutely aware that GMR could broaden its target to stations in any of, or all of, the 50 states. So while the RMLC, at this moment, remains primarily concerned with …stations owned by companies headquartered or based in Pennsylvania,” the RMLC’s true concern is with regard to all radio companies and stations throughout the United States.”
RMLC has asked a federal court in Philadelphia to enter a preliminary injunction order preventing GMR from engaging in “these overtly coercive actions,” while the RMLC’s lawsuit proceeds. Further, the RMLC’s motion requests that the court order GMR to continue to offer interim music performance licenses, to those radio stations who elect to take one, on identical terms to those interim licenses already in effect for the past several months. That relief would prevent GMR from further inordinate pressure on the radio industry while the federal court resolves the RMLC’s antitrust claims against GMR.
