The Stage

Equity wins rights for podcast performers

Published Thursday 8 March 2007 at 14:40 by Liz Thomas

Equity and B7 Productions have reached a deal providing contractual rights for performers in a podcast, in a UK first.

The agreement, which the union believes may even be the first of its kind in the world, relates to an updated audio version of the seventies cult sci-fi show Blake’s 7.

The deal ensures performers receive minimum session fees, rehearsals, overtime payments, holiday pay, assignment of rights and importantly a royalty share on the net revenues generated via podcast downloads, audio streaming via the internet and any subsequent CD release.”

Details will be sent to the Personal Managers’ Association, the Association of Voice-over Agents and the Co-operative Personal Managers Association, and the terms can be used as a minimum template for future agreements on podcast productions.

“The Blake’s 7 podcast represents an important first step in establishing the rights of members in this developing market,” Andy Prodger, Equity’s assistant general secretary said. “The deal reached by Equity on behalf of our members sets out a basic framework in relation to a performer’s rights to royalties and recognises the distinctive nature of this new way of delivering programming to a growing audience.”

Prodger said that the move was a response to the new media environment and underlined the union’s commitment to protect members’ interests as technology changes.

Andrew Mark Sewell, B7 Productions’ executive producer, added: “The agreement between Equity and B7 Productions is not intended to be prescriptive but is important for marking out the boundaries and ensuring that the commercial expectations of performers [and their agents] is realistic.”