ABSTRACT
This covers the right to read from the text of a published work in undramatized form through the medium of radio or television, or public performances in other media. The dramatization of published material is covered in Chapter 21. The author’s share of the income from undramatized readings is usually 75 per cent. Obvious examples of a single-voice reading of literary material would be the BBC Radio 4 programmes Book of the Week (broadcast every morning on weekdays) and A Book at Bedtime (broadcast every evening on weekdays). For use of copyright material by the BBC on radio or television, set rates have
been negotiated regularly between the BBC, the Publishers Association and the Society of Authors; the Publishers Licensing Society (PLS; see Chapter 23) may take over the PA role. Payment is calculated according to the length of time of the broadcast. The rates from 1 August 2014 are as follows:
1 Television
Prose (per minute) £31.63 Poetry (per half-minute) £37.96
2 Radio
(a) Domestic service Prose (per minute) £18.38 Poetry (per half-minute) £18.38 (b) World Service (English) and BBC Digital Service originations Prose (per minute) £9.19 Poetry (per half-minute) £9.19 (c) Local radio Prose (per minute) £4.59 Poetry (per half-minute) £4.59
Translations of prose and poetry are payable at two-thirds of the above rates payable to the translator and the licensor. The fee for each initial use is paid at the time of the first broadcast.
