atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Music On Hold

I'm sorry but the warning about using a radio in I'm sure every phone manual was just there to scare us? Hello! it is legit. Does everyone do it, yes. does that make it right? No.

Before this I worked as a Promotions director at a radio station. Record companys spend major money to get air play of their artist so you and I will go out and purchase the whole album. Record companies need to go talk to BMI and tell them to maybe back off because someone on hold could be a future customer.

I think it's illegal to re-broadcast to the public, which is what MOH does. There usta be a place called Abscam (something like that0 who call businesses got put on hold to see what they were using, and if they were illegal turn them in...some way or another.
That's hear say, I never saw it happen, just heard about it.

My wife and I used to own a small (30 seat) breakfast and lunch restaurant. We used to play a little light music. We were visited one day by a rep from BMI demanding that we pay a $900 per year liscensing fee.
We just went out and found some classical CDs and old Jazz CDs that were no longer under copyright. We kept getting nasty letters from BMI for about 2 years afterward. I returned every one of them with a note that we were not, and would never, play music recorded by one of their artists.

There usta be a place called Abscam (something like that0 who call businesses got put on hold to see what they were using, and if they were illegal turn them in...

Sounds like that would be ASCAP which I mentioned above.

-Hal

Yes Hal..them's the ones, glad you mentioned it again.

I wrote ASCAP, if you want the reply I can email it to you. Way too much info to post here. But bottom line it is illegal to use a radio,CD player etc. without paying royalties. payment plan is as follows:
2005

RATE SCHEDULE

MUSIC-ON-HOLD


|------------------------------------|
| Number of Trunk Lines |
| Used in Providing LICENSEE'S |
| Music-On-Hold Telephone Service |
| |
|Annual Fee |
|------------------------------------|


|----------------------------|
|1-10 |
|$205.00 |
|----------------------------|
| |
|11-50 |
|$409.00 |
|----------------------------|
| |
|51-100 |
|$618.00 |
|----------------------------|
| |
|101-150 |
|$820.00 |
|----------------------------|
| |
|151-200 |
|$1,027.00 |
|----------------------------|
| |
|201-250 |
|$1,229.00 |
|----------------------------|
| |
|251-300 |
|$1,437.00 |
|----------------------------|
| |
|OVER 300 |
|$1,644.00 |
|----------------------------

And keep in mind that you have to sign up with all three, BMI, ASCAP and SESAC. So the costs you provide are roughly 1/3 although the other two may be a bit different.

-Hal

I'm not real sure if music on hold fits the real description of the word broadcast. I don't think cable tv fits the description, that's why the fcc leaves them alone.

How does this apply to residential use??