BRITAIN'S Monopolies and Merger Commission (MMC) said yesterday that it found problems in the operations of the Performing Rights Society (PRS), a non profit making company which licenses copyright music for broadcast and public performance and gathers royalties.
The 82 year old society represents about 29,000 composers, songwriters and music publishers in Britain. In 1995, it had income of £167 million sterling, received from organisations as large as the BBC and as small as neighbourhood cafes playing taped music.
The MMC cited problems caused by the society's corporate structure and said management practices have caused problems.
It recommended 44 changes, including the formal delegation of day to day management to a small committee including external and executive directors, adoption of a detailed system of cost allocation, provision of more information to members and establishment of an appeals board.
The MMC also recommended the society clarify that members - the recipients of the royalties gathered by the PRS can elect to self administer some rights and should be allowed to administer their own live performing rights.
