The songs that no one listens (still) dominate the collection of the SGAE

The symphony has not changed. Continues almost the identical, every night. It sounds to loop the music on the television shows late at night, and sings the box. Since the outbreak of known as case wheel, in June of 2017, there have been arrests, investigations, and cars, where the judge suspected that this alleged plot, for which members of the SGAE, publishers, televisions, and employees of the national chains and regional governments gained strong revenues thanks to the issues cast by the night— came to represent between 2006 and 2011, up to 70% of the collection that the music conjured in the small screen, despite having the 1% of the audience. Hundreds of creators they denounced then what were perceived, at least, a trap is unacceptable. The SGAE will always downplayed the problem, pointing out that it had been fixed. However, the last deal half-yearly of the entity, June, 2018, which had access to THE COUNTRY, shows another reality: the music issued between 2 and 7 in the morning, that no one sees or hears, still more raises. Yes, fewer than in its golden age: in particular, 16,15 million, 40% of the total revenues of the music played on television.

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that Is to say, that the artists who fill them with their issues the programs of the early morning hours earned in the first six months of the year, double that of those who play in prime time (8, 7 million) and much more that the gaza strip between 14 and 20 (10.3 million). And not only: with just five hours a night of extremely poor hearing, the so-called wheel pocketed more money than the audiovisual sector in its whole, by adding up all 24 hours of the day in which your catalog is issued in television: 12.6 million.

"it Is a fact that in the programming of the music on the television-there is a percentage of emission very high" in the early morning, recognize from the SGAE. But added that the entity, "as the manager of copyright, you cannot determine the content" of its users.

The system, according to the judicial investigation, it works on different levels: the starting point is that several members of the SGAE recorded a tide of tunes to his name. In some cases, have been composed. In others, responsible, sometimes to guys fresh out of the conservatory. This creates an ocean of music where they mix creations new and authentic, of authors, even very well-known, public domain works, with some minimal arrangement —or none— to change the name of the author, or symphonies inaudible. Some, before the suspicions which led to his sudden creative feeding frenzy, began to sign as co-authors or to use straw. From there, the songs are transferred to the editorial created by the television Tempobet networks, allowing the so-called return: the more you relayed these issues in the nightly programming —this is ensured by managers related to the plot— the more money they win both their authors as the own stations. And, as well, recovering around half of what they have to pay to the SGAE for the use of your catalog. In addition, since the entity who collects has the most votes, the wheel always ensures that its presence is widespread in the organs of government of the SGAE.

What is certain, however, is that the system is currently legal. And that's why dozens of authors defend it as legitimate, as Telecinco and Atresmedia, two of the chains that benefit most. The own Hevia, president of the SGAE, received income in the last decade thanks to the nocturnal emission of his songs. The defenders of the wheel to contend that the judicial investigation into “the few and their practices” must not make us forget that many Spanish musicians survive thanks to it. But, in the absence of which the court issued its verdict —the previous president, José Miguel Fernández Sastrón, is also accused in this case, another one front emphasises that there are ample reasons, at least ethical and mismatches of apportionment, to stop the wheel.

In fact, in July 2017, an international arbitration ruled that the music night could not be more than 15% of the collection. And in the only division where you applied this decision, in December of 2016, the revenues of the early morning fell to third place, behind the band 14-20 and prime time. However, the high Court of Justice of Madrid annulled the award, following a demand from Telecinco and Atresmedia, by considering that the SGAE had to resolve the matter internally and violated its statute to go to arbitration. Then, the board of directors of the entity, by a majority, rose up to the 15% limit, in the belief that the sentence thus imposed. Hence, in the cast of June this year, the wheel would return to work as (almost) always.

as Well as corroborated also The Newspaper of Catalonia, after a recent viewing of the programs of the early morning: the works of various musicians that make up the board of directors to fill the night television. Although the Ministry of Culture has already demanded that the SGAE a distribution more balanced and threatens to intervene the entity, if this is not effective before the 27th of December. The own SGAE underlines its "willingness and desire to achieve a balance" and that it is working on some changes in the deadlines. But the final word will correspond to a general assembly, that is intended to convene in December. There will be played the future of the wheel. And, perhaps, of the entire entity.