Music: What TV Can’t Steal

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), which among other things collects radio-performance royalties for scores of “serious” musicians, e.g., Stravinsky, Sibelius and Hindemith, cheerfully reported that more and more stations are finding time and clients for programs of serious music. In a poll of 1,259 stations, BMI found 80% regularly used concert music last year, compared with 64% the year before.

BMI, which also offers stations free scripts for eight one-hour programs a month, was especially pleased by the down-to-earth quality of some of the station managers’ replies. Sample (from Wisconsin): “It took us almost six years to convince clients of the value of good music. Now it’s doing a good job for them and for us.” From Michigan: “It’s one of the few offerings TV cannot steal.”