No Rock And Roll Fun

MORE "CRIMINALS" BROUGHT INTO LINE: Have you noticed how shabby Elton John has been looking lately? Been upset that Paul McCartney looks like the poor dear can't afford to feed himself? That's because of terrible criminals like Mary Methven, playing a radio in her hairdressers for 35 years without paying a penny, if you please. Of course, these sort of people can't be allowed to get away with it, can they? So the PRS is having a crackdown.

On the other hand, maybe we should be looking at the PRS' insistence that playing a radio in a public place is a broadcast. Set aside for a moment the other cases, which could be jukeboxes or djing in a pub, where the music is clearly emanating from the premises, and consider this question: the radio station Ms Methven has on in her parlour has paid to broadcast the music to its listeners. Ms Methven is doing no more than turning the radio on to access the broadcast which has already been paid for. So why should the record company be recompensed for the same thing twice? Maybe its time someone stood up to the PRS and asked them exactly what the rationale is for charging someone for something that's already been paid for?