WASHINGTON, D.C.-- In response to today's announcement by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that it has completed its multi-year review of antitrust consent decrees regulating two of the nation’s largest music performing rights organizations, the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith:

WASHINGTON – Representatives of local radio and television broadcasters expressed support for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposed conclusions in its multi-year review of antitrust consent decrees regulating two of the nation’s largest music performing rights organizations in comments filed last week. The review concluded that no modifications were warranted to the decrees affecting the songwriter royalties collected by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), and that ASCAP and BMI should continue to offer licenses that provide broadcasters and other users full rights to the musical works in those licensing organizations’ repertories. Under the current system, radio broadcasters pay $350 million, and local television broadcasters some $150 million, to songwriters and their music publishers every year.