Dear Lewis Capaldi, help me free local radio of cash burden
HI LEWIS, I hope you are well. May I begin by congratulating you on your recent success. Things must be hectic for you on a personal level right now.
You are handling it all with tremendous humility, humour and grace. Everyone in Scotland is behind you, mate. Keep shining.
In recognition that your head is likely spinning at 1000mph, and with an awareness that there must be so many demands on your time, I’ll get straight to the point.
As a musician, I know you understand the importance of community radio. In Glasgow, stations like Sunny Govan, Radio Magnetic and Subcity have long been the lifeblood of the city’s world-renowned music scene.
While the public might not be aware, these small organisations provide a vital resource not only for the local communities they serve but also to the Scottish music industry by scouting and nurturing talent and providing a platform for emerging artists.
One massive hurdle for local radio stations is the fee – ranging from £1000 to £3000 – that they must pay to the Performing Rights Society (PRS) annually.
Most musicians see PRS as a positive tool. When we play live, get played on radio or our music is featured on television, PRS makes sure we get paid royalties.
This is a vital source of income for all musicians, however, PRS does not work so well for local radio stations.
Take Sunny Govan. As well as a full-time broadcast schedule, mentoring programmes, workshops on economic literacy, oral hygiene, mental health and employability, it must fundraise to pay this £3000 – a flat rate for a station of its specification.
It’s the same rate commercial stations such as Kiss FM and Radio Clyde pay.
The big difference is that community radio supports local talent, eschewing the latest trending artist in favour of giving a voice to those at community level.
That £3000 is a substantial outgoing for a small station.
Fundraising requires a lot of time and energy, logistical support and goodwill from local people, many of whom are struggling in a tough economic climate.
It’s estimated that community stations in Scotland pay £40,000 into the PRS pot every year. Most is redistributed to professional and semi-pro artists who can afford PRS’s £100 membership fee.
Ultimately, it means Sunny Govan pays for the right to play music by local artists who are not signed up to receive royalties.
Ideally, Creative Scotland should cover or subsidise this cost. Many artists, funded directly by Creative Scotland, depend on community radio at the start of their careers.
Why should stations like Sunny Govan be penalised for supporting local musicians that commercial stations routinely ignore?
Lewis, will you join me in calling on the Scottish music industry, Creative Scotland and PRS to come up with a plan, in collaboration with community radio stations, that will relieve this unnecessary financial burden?
Will you raise this issue with other artists who could lend their voice, expertise or support? It could be as simple as a few tweets, or a video, sharing your thoughts.
Whichever support you kindly give, I’ll capture it like lightning in a bottle and redirect it to those who need to hear it.
This is not about radio. This is about nurturing and supporting Scotland’s most challenged communities. Communities which are not deprived simply of money but of opportunity and, indeed, a voice in Scottish public life.