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Welsh music dispute: BBC Trust calls for Radio Cymru and Eos agreement Welsh music dispute: BBC Radio Cymru cuts airtime and amends playlists
(35 minutes later)
The BBC Trust has urged both sides in a dispute over royalty payments to Welsh language musicians to reach a "fair and affordable" settlement. Classical music and hymns have replaced rock and pop on BBC Radio Cymru as the deadline for a rights deal with leading Welsh-language musicians passes.
Talks between the BBC and Eos, the body representing more than 300 artists, have stalled as the 1 January deadline takes effect. Radio Cymru is also cutting its airtime by two hours a day after losing the right to play more than 30,000 songs.
From New Year's Day, Radio Cymru loses the right to to play over 30,000 songs. The musicians broke away from the Performing Rights Society (PRS) to join a new agency, claiming they were being short-changed for their work.
BBC Cymru Wales says a substantial offer was turned down but Eos says it wants a "fair price for Welsh music". The agency, Eos, says it wants a "fair price for Welsh music".
The right to broadcast the songs of more than 300 Welsh-language musicians and music publishers will rest with Eos from 1 January. The right to broadcast the songs of 331 Welsh-language musicians and music publishers rests with Eos from today.
The BBC Trust - the BBC's governing body which is independent of the corporation's management - said it was in nobody's interest for the dispute to continue. The dispute arose from a change by the PRS in 2007 which many Welsh language artists claim cut their royalty payments by as much as 85%.
BBC National Trustee for Wales Elan Closs Stephens said: "I urge both parties to reach a fair and affordable settlement so that Radio Cymru can quickly return to providing its usual comprehensive and much loved service." Since then, an alliance of Welsh musicians and composers have sought to improve the payments made by broadcasters, launching the new agency in August to handle the licensing of their work.
If an agreement is not reached, the station will broadcast programmes with a number of changes from Tuesday. The BBC said Eos had rejected a substantial offer to settle the dispute shortly before Christmas.
'Very disappointed' As no agreement was reached, Radio Cymru has implemented changes to its broadcasting hours and programme content.
Daily output will be reduced by two hours, as the station will start broadcasting an hour later in the morning at 06:30 GMT, finishing an hour early at 23:00 GMT. Daily output is being reduced by two hours, as the station will start broadcasting an hour later in the morning at 06:30 GMT, finishing an hour early at 23:00 GMT.
Daytime playlists will include popular classical and instrumental music, as well as a number of English language and international artists. Playlists will include popular classical and instrumental music, as well as a number of English language and international artists.
The C2 evening programmes - which showcase new Welsh music - will be cut to an hour.The C2 evening programmes - which showcase new Welsh music - will be cut to an hour.
BBC Cymru Wales said in a statement it was "very disappointed" an agreement had not been reached and Radio Cymru programmes would be affected. BBC Cymru Wales said in a statement on Monday it was "very disappointed" an agreement had not been reached and Radio Cymru programmes would be affected.
"Radio Cymru's commitment to support and develop Welsh music is a longstanding one - and we have listened carefully to the concerns of Welsh language composers and artists during this dispute," the statement said."Radio Cymru's commitment to support and develop Welsh music is a longstanding one - and we have listened carefully to the concerns of Welsh language composers and artists during this dispute," the statement said.
"Both the BBC and Eos want to ensure that a fair outcome is achieved - and it is a fair outcome for all parties that we will be focusing on when further talks with Eos take place next week.""Both the BBC and Eos want to ensure that a fair outcome is achieved - and it is a fair outcome for all parties that we will be focusing on when further talks with Eos take place next week."
The dispute arose from a change by the Performing Rights Society (PRS) in 2007 which many Welsh language artists claim cut their royalty payments by as much as 85%. The BBC Trust - the BBC's governing body which is independent of the corporation's management - has urged a settlement claiming it was in nobody's interest for the dispute to continue.
Since then, an alliance of Welsh musicians and composers have sought to improve the payments made by broadcasters, launching a new agency in August this year to handle the licensing of their work. BBC National Trustee for Wales Elan Closs Stephens said: "I urge both parties to reach a fair and affordable settlement so that Radio Cymru can quickly return to providing its usual comprehensive and much loved service."
'Lack of respect'
From Tuesday the rights to music by 331 artists will transfer from PRS to Eos, requiring radio and TV stations to make agreements with the new agency to continue using music by those artists.
Eos chair Gwilym Morus has said it was a "shame that the BBC have chosen to damage the national radio service because they are unwilling to pay a fair price for Welsh music".Eos chair Gwilym Morus has said it was a "shame that the BBC have chosen to damage the national radio service because they are unwilling to pay a fair price for Welsh music".
He said he did not want any more harm done to Radio Cymru because both the station and the musicians shared the same audience.He said he did not want any more harm done to Radio Cymru because both the station and the musicians shared the same audience.
"Regretfully I believe the BBC in London is showing a lack of respect towards their own staff in Wales and towards Welsh culture," he said. "Regretfully, I believe the BBC in London is showing a lack of respect towards their own staff in Wales and towards Welsh culture," he said.
On Saturday the Welsh-language TV station S4C confirmed it had reached agreement with Eos over the use of its artists' music.On Saturday the Welsh-language TV station S4C confirmed it had reached agreement with Eos over the use of its artists' music.
Radio Cymru has about 142,000 listeners a week, according to the latest Rajar audience survey.