Public radio stations face uncertainty as new music rate fight begins without CPB

With the Corporation for Public Broadcasting winding toward dissolution, the next round of music use rate-setting negotiations could be considerably more complicated. As one of its final acts, CPB reached a deal with songwriters securing performance rights for public radio through Dec. 31, 2027. What the future holds is less clear as the Copyright Royalty Board wastes no time beginning to examine what will happen in two years when that agreement expires.

In a notice published in the Federal Register, the Copyright Royalty Board’s judges have announced the start of a new proceeding to determine “reasonable rates and terms” for the use of copyrighted works by public broadcasters for the five-year period beginning Jan. 1, 2028, and ending Dec. 31, 2032.

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