NPR’s Public Interactive to report streaming for public radio

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NPR’s Public Interactive (PI) was selected by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to collect and report public radio music streaming activities to SoundExchange.  PI will serve as the central music stream reporting vehicle for all public radio streamers, including CPB supported stations, NPR, NPR member stations, National Federation of Community Broadcasters members, American Public Media (APM), the Public Radio Exchange (PRX) and Public Radio International (PRI).


This consolidated approach is the first step to implementing the reporting obligations laid out in the ground-breaking SoundExchange Webcasting Performance Agreement struck between CPB and SoundExchange earlier this year.

The agreement, reached under the authority of the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008 (H.R. 7080), set forth new terms for rates and reporting for Internet performance royalties to be paid to sound recording artists and copyright owners by non-commercial educational public radio organizations through the year 2010. 

“This is an important step to make sure that we recognize the value of artists’ performances and compensate them fairly and accurately, while recognizing the unique mission of public radio to broaden the landscape of music available,” said Vivian Schiller, president and CEO of NPR.

“PI brings has the necessary knowledge of public radio, as well as the customer support and technical resources to handle the various database applications used in public radio,” says Debra May Hughes, VP for NPR’s Public Interactive.  “We’ve also had direct experience developing a playlist application that is compliant with ASCAP and BMI reporting and experience in developing reporting for public radio’s national productions.  This is a natural service for us to perform for the whole public radio community.”

Public radio stations will be able to take advantage of Public Interactive’s current playlist application, Composer, to create compatible reports or can upload their reports to a central web location for processing and delivery to SoundExchange.

Public Interactive will begin contacting stations immediately to initiate the new reporting process and to schedule webinars and system interconnects. The first round of reports is due to SoundExchange in mid-July.