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B1 with the pump

I think we've all been treated to music while pumping gas since many stations have a service where a voice inevitably interrupts the song reminding you to pick up Cheetos & Pepsi before you leave. Today I was pumping when the song wasn't interrupted, but when it ended, Steve Valentine's voice came out of the gas pump. Yes, B101 was playing at the pump. Are they even supposed to be doing this? I can't see any station complaining about a little exposure & it's only slightly different than hearing any station in a store, but this was a little more up close & personal. Second oddest instance of something like this is that Gem Plumbing & Heating used to play Coast in their phone queue, but I believe that ended. Maybe they weren't playing Tommy Tutone enough.
 
I know this from working with Vic Micheals.It is against the law to play a radio station in a public place for entertainment purposes.This is totally against ASCAP regulations and the gas station can be subject to pay royalties for the music.
That is why most stores,restaurants,gas stations,etc pay a service to supply music and the fees are in with the monthly fee and not a seperate bill.
Chances are slim that ASCAP is going to fill up at that gas station but the threat does excist.
I remember a few years ago when I believe Taunton town hall was playing WPRO-FM on the phones when you were on hold and they got slapped with a fine and ordered to stop playing radio stations.
As for the station being played it self they will never complain.
 
I was at a Bowling Alley last year and they were playing Sirius Radio Channel 9 through the house system. Since it's satellite I wonder what rules they must abide by. I'm thinking that Satellite radio probably has a special agreement with businesses which allows them to broadcast into a public place. It probably isn't that much different than the service that the Muzak corporation has been providing for the past 70 years. I'm also thinking that there are probably a ton of places that just get a regular consumer account and broadcast the signal into their place of business without even telling the Satellite company.

On a side note. Every single hair salon that I've ever walked into has a local radio station playing while people get their hair cut. Are they ALL breaking the Law?
 
Skynet74 said:
I was at a Bowling Alley last year and they were playing Sirius Radio Channel 9 through the house system.
On a side note. Every single hair salon that I've ever walked into has a local radio station playing while people get their hair cut. Are they ALL breaking the Law?

I was actually working at Labgs Bowling center when I was working with Vic Micheals and my former manager Sue always had B101 on the sound system.
I'm wondering if at a gas station the mechanic in the garage playing a (transistor) radio while he is giving a tune up is probably ok becvause he his playing it for himself although you may hear it.As opposed to it being played over ther intercom system in the store area.Is nt.
Is thier a number of when it is being played to the public as to playing it for yourself?
I'm not wording it to good but do you know what I am trying to say.

As for Sirius and XM.They have special channels for businesses.
 
Is thier a number of when it is being played to the public as to playing it for yourself?
I'm not wording it to good but do you know what I am trying to say.

[/quote]


Are you asking if there are a maximum amount of listeners that can be present while a business is playing a local station in a public place? Here is my answer. I have no friggin clue. It's a good question though. How many people does it take to break the law? I'm certain that this is one of those laws that 99.9 percent of businesses don't abide by anyway. It's kind of like Fireworks being illegal, but your neighbors still light them off each year. It's one of those laws that not many people seem to pay attention to.
 
XM does have a service for businesses with all licensing fees taken care of.I'd guess the type of business that wants to create a certain atmosphere would be the one to use it instead of a gas station or even a retail establishment.I am surprised at the number of businesses that do play B101 considering a lot of their music is classified as classic rock.AC stations usually fare better in businesses.Stations like HJY,CTK,and HOT are the ones that lose out when it comes to business airplay.
 
Skynet wrote: It's one of those laws that not many people seem to pay attention to.


I know a business that played tapes and piped the radio through speakers in the business. ASCAP came after the owner for fees etc!

So they do notice!

Jazzy
 
jazzjock said:
Skynet wrote: It's one of those laws that not many people seem to pay attention to.


I know a business that played tapes and piped the radio through speakers in the business. ASCAP came after the owner for fees etc!

So they do notice!

Jazzy


Well Like I said, similar to your friend most people don't pay attention. ASCAP can't be everywhere. As matter of fact I'm curious how much of their staff can be anywhere? Do they have a division that randomly goes into businesses to bust people? Very doubtful. Chances are your friend got snitched on. That's probably the only way that people get busted.
 
A couple of years ago, the FCC removed the rule about retailers acquiring licensing for broadcasts of radio stations in their businesses. As of that time, the airwaves are actually the property of the people. Muzak is dead, thank goodness for small favors.
 
S DANMAN,
If the FCC relaxed the rules for retail establishments playing local radio stations.Why are more and Chained bussinesses using satelite?
2nd. Why does XM and Sirius have some of the same channels in a bussiness tear that we cannot recieve in our homes?
 
Are you sure that there are seperate XM channels for businesses? I thought they just had to pay extra fees, but listened to the same channels. The 2 or 3 businesses I've heard XM on in have used regular channels. I know one of them was The Blend, 25.
 
S DANMAN said:
A couple of years ago, the FCC removed the rule about retailers acquiring licensing for broadcasts of radio stations in their businesses. As of that time, the airwaves are actually the property of the people. Muzak is dead, thank goodness for small favors.

"the airwaves are actually the property of the people" is a whole'nother hornet's nest but as far as businesses using sat it's probably because there's no danger of local competing sponsors airing. You want to create a background or a mood, spots local or otherwise are not the way to do it.
 
When I heard Sirius in the Bowling Alley they were just airing Channel 9 "The Pulse" which is one of their regular consumer channels. I'm not aware of any tier of channels for businesses only. It may exist, but I don't know about it. I do not really see a need for special channels anyway. Their regular 150 channel lineup covers everything.

Also... according to Wikipedia, the Muzak company is still very much alive today. But they no longer air elevator music. Now the company focuses on selecting and playlisting existing recordings. With that being the case, I believe that it is probably much cheaper to pump SIRIUS or XM into your business than it would be to subscribe to Muzak. The advantage of satellite over local stations in that your customers will not be bombarded with commercials. The music channels on satellite are pretty much commercial free. It makes for a much more enjoyable listening experience.
 
jlehmann said:
Are you sure that there are seperate XM channels for businesses? I thought they just had to pay extra fees, but listened to the same channels. The 2 or 3 businesses I've heard XM on in have used regular channels. I know one of them was The Blend, 25.

I think I misinterpreted the idea of a separate XM service for businesses.It's just a site I saw marketing it to businesses but it looks like the same service everyone gets.

http://www.xm4business.com/
 
kenwood101 said:
S DANMAN,
If the FCC relaxed the rules for retail establishments playing local radio stations.Why are more and Chained bussinesses using satelite?
2nd. Why does XM and Sirius have some of the same channels in a bussiness tear that we cannot recieve in our homes?

ken, maybe I am misreading; but FCC currently doesn't have any jurisdiction over satellite services....there has always been a proliferation of satellite services prior to the advent of XM and Sirrius. As far as an expanded tier for businesses, why not....there are expanded satellite TV services that cater directly to Dr's offices, insurance/financial offices (mostly the CNN extra stations)
 
ken, maybe I am misreading; but FCC currently doesn't have any jurisdiction over satellite services....there has always been a proliferation of satellite services prior to the advent of XM and Sirrius. As far as an expanded tier for businesses, why not....there are expanded satellite TV services that cater directly to Dr's offices, insurance/financial offices (mostly the CNN extra stations)

I think it is more of aan ASCAP thing than FCC thing.
 
kenwood101 said:
ken, maybe I am misreading; but FCC currently doesn't have any jurisdiction over satellite services....there has always been a proliferation of satellite services prior to the advent of XM and Sirrius. As far as an expanded tier for businesses, why not....there are expanded satellite TV services that cater directly to Dr's offices, insurance/financial offices (mostly the CNN extra stations)

I think it is more of aan ASCAP thing than FCC thing.

Ok...just checking. I was confused....I understand now.
 
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