iPlayer pay

Published Tuesday 30 September 2008 at 11:40

The Stage Online mum who enquires how much artists get paid when their programmes are shown on BBC iPlayer (Letters, page 9, September 18) can do no better than contact the British Equity Collecting Society Limited.

BECS is a collecting society which works together with Equity to protect performer’s rights. In particular, to ensure that performers are properly compensated when their work is re-channelled through the multitude of new media services developed by the main television broadcasters - among which are BBC iPlayer, 4oD and ITV on-demand.

While these go down extraordinarily well with the public, left to the broadcasters there would be no extra payments at all for the multi-transmission of performers’ work.

Equity has fought tooth and nail to enforce the principle that new broadcasting services represent new uses of performers’ work - whatever their age - for which broadcasters have to make separate payments. But it is not all plain sailing.

Is the programme for sale or for rental? For example, Download to Own on a dedicated Channel 4 website. Payment to artists is via a royalty payment based on sales.

BBC iPlayer on the other hand operates what they describe as ‘special arrangements’. iPlayer (download to rent) gives viewers the option to download programmes for up to seven days after broadcast. Whether your correspondent’s son can expect payment in lieu of a temporary loan of his work is debatable. A glance through his contract ought to clarify the matter.

Incidentally, BECS - set up in 1998 - is a membership organisation and would be delighted to see more of you take an active interest in its affairs.

Faith Hines

Bull Lane

Long Melford

Suffolk