PRS/MCPS - Performing Rights Society/Mechanical Copyright Protection Society

The PRS - Performing Rights Society - and the MCPS - Mechanical Copyright Protection Society - were separate companies that then joined together in 2009 to become PRS/MCPS as one. The PRS together with the MCPS deal with the copyright from music. It is a UK copyright collection society and performance rights organisation undertaking collective rights management for musical works.

In 1914, the Performing Rights Society was founded. They were collecting fees for live performance from sheet music. Initially, the MCPS had completely different distinct activities. The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society were originally founded in 1911 and renamed in 1924. Phonographic Performance Limited were founded by Decca and EMI in 1934, which collected fees for playing gramophone recordings. The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society began as MECOLICO, the Mechanical Copyright Licenses Co. in 1911 in anticipation of the Copyright Act of 1911, and merged with the Copyright Protection Society in 1924.

The PRS for Music is the company that ensures that organisations pay to play music and distribute the royalties to the singes/bands/artists fairly and efficiently. The MCPS make sure that the companies who play music have the right licence to do so, and fine them if not. The PRS for Music distribute a certain amount of money to an artist every time a song is played, but obviously give it in a lump-sum usually at the end of each month rather than giving the artist or band 23p, for example, every single time.

The PRS work with the UK Government, Parliament, the European Commission, European Parliament and international bodies to actively engage on public policy and legislative developments. The main things that the PRS and MCPS work with/on are:
- Copyright
- Small businesses
- Collective rights management
- Digital networks, enforcement and consumer education
- Metadata and data tools
- International trade and fiscal policy
- The CRM Directive.

OfCom - Office of Communications

OfCom is the communications regulator in the UK. OfCom is the company that regulate the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services and the airwaves over which wireless devices operate. OfCom make sure that the population of the UK get the best from their communications services. They make sure that everyone here is protected from scams and sharp practices, while ensuring that competition can thrive. The company works and operates under a number of Acts of Parliament, including in particular the Communications Act of 2003. OfCom must act within the powers and duties set for it by Parliament in legislation.

The Communications Act says that OfCom's primary duty is to further the interests of citizens and of consumers, where appropriate by promoting competition. Meeting this duty is fundamentally what they do in everything they work on. Accountable to Parliament, OfCom set and enforce regulatory rules for the sectors for which they are responsible for. OfCom also have set powers to enforce competition law in those sectors, alongside the Competition and Markets Authority. The Office of Communications is funded by fees from industry for regulating broadcasting and communications networks, and grant-in-aid from the Government.


OfCom's main legal duties to ensure include:
-people who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material;
-a wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests;
-a universal postal service is provided in the UK. This means a six days a week, universally priced delivery and collected service across the UK; and
-television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations.

OfCom are not responsible for regulating:
-disputes between you and your telecoms provider;
-premium-rate services, including mobile-phone text services and ringtones;
-the content of television and radio adverts;
-complaints about accuracy in BBC programmes;
-the BBC TV licence fee;
-post offices; or
-newspapers and magazines.

ASA - Advertising Standards Authority

The ASA, Advertising Standards Authority, is the UK's independent regulator of advertising across all media. They apply the Advertising Codes written by the Committees of Advertising Practice. The ASA take care of complaints made about advertisements and they also take action against misleading, harmful or offensive advertisements. They work across the whole of the advertising industry. The ASA's purpose is to make sure that all advertisements are responsible, and their ambition is to make every advert in the UK a responsible advert.
The ASA follow 5 things;

• Understanding - they will be open to all calls and will be fair and balanced when assessing to problem.
• Support - they will support advertisers while they make responsible adverts.
• Impact - they'll spend time on the things that matter most and what makes the biggest difference.
• Proactive - they'll work with others and be proactive. Even if they haven't received a complaint of an advert, they will try to tackle to ads that effect the more vulnerable of people.
• Awareness - they will ensure that the public, civil society and the advertising industry know who they are, they will raise awareness of themselves so that people know who to go to when necessary.

If something is deemed misleading, harmful or offensive then it is therefore in breach of the UK Advertising Codes and therefore must be withdrawn or amended and the advertiser must not use the same approach again. In 2012, the ASA considered 31,298 complaints about 18990 cases and they actively checked thousands of those advertisements. Their work meant that 3,700 advertisements had had to be changed or withdrawn. All parts of the advertising industry including the advertisers, agencies and media, have come together to commit to being legal, decent, honest and truthful in what they advertise.

The UK Advertising Codes are written by two industries; the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Committee of Advertising Practice writes the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing. BCAP writes the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising.

To make sure that adverts stay within the ASA's rules, the ASA don't only act on complaints. They carry out many other activities also. For example, the ASA checks ads in all media and regularly conducts surveys of advertisements published by sectors where there is either unsatisfactory compliance with the Codes or where there are societal concerns about that sector. With CAP, committee of advertising practice, they both support the industry to help them get their ads right before they're published. This includes providing guidance, pre-publication advice and training for the industry.

Every year in the UK, there are millions of non-broadcast ads published. It would therefore be impossible for the ASA to pre-clear every single one of them. To put this into perspective, there are more than 30 million press advertisements and 100 million pieces of direct marketing every year. Even though the ASA cannot directly speak to every single advertiser, there is a lot of help, advice and guidance through CAP Advice and Training. It includes free bespoke pre-publication advice from Copy Advice and online resources that advertisers, agencies and the media can use to check the latest positions on hundreds of different advertising issues.

Radio Producer

The main basic roles of a radio producer are; creating content for a radio show, managing the whole radio production process for recorded programmes and live programmes and carrying out thorough research, identifying ideas that are suitable from other people and generating original ideas.

Radio  producers are the ones who create content for the radio. They are key in creating what is heard by the listeners, but they are not usually heard on air themselves. The responsibilities of a radio producer can vary considerably dependent on the station or radio programme they are creating content for. They collaborate with the presenters, performs and other programme contributors to make and produce content ready to be aired on radio. They're closely involved with the business and technical aspects of radio programmes. They have the responsibility to manage the budgets of the radio station and they ensure all of the resources are used efficiently. They are also responsible for listening and responding to listeners' complains and comments of the radio programme or station. A radio producer will have to obtain permissions or licences for recording or broadcasting on location. Some senior producers commission and oversee the work of other production team members.

To become a radio producer, you will need to:

• have knowledge on certain laws, ethics and industry regulations around radio production,
• be able to calmly work when there is pressure,
• be able to meet tight deadlines,
• be able to develop other people by coaching them,
• have strong computer skills, including word processing and data handling as well as audio editing and image manipulation,
• and have great communication skills.

The job role can be taken on by all diplomates and graduates, but to gain the highest chance of taking on this job role you will really need to have a degree in radio or media production. A degree in broadcast journalism or media studies can also help you too. A postgraduate diploma or Masters in radio production may be useful, especially if your degree is in an unrelated subject. Whereas a postgraduate qualification is not essential. 2 out of every 3 radio workers have a degree or postgraduate qualification. It is also possible to gain an entry-level role and then work your way up to the level of radio producer. Work experience and evidence of relevant skills are valued higher than educational qualifications. To be a successful with this hands on route, you will need the following things and also some others:

• to have fantastic written and oral communications skills,
• ability to get to grips with new subject matters quickly,
• a real interest in all sorts of people,
• good organisational skills,
• ability to work under pressure,
• and a passion about radio.

The radio producers are mainly based in offices and recording studios, but they do sometimes work on location producing outside broadcasts. They may be required to work all types of shifts. These includes night shifts, weekends and holidays. They may be expected to travel long distances on short notice to work on location. This can be a disadvantage because you might not actually have time to get there. Another disadvantage is that you may have made other plans that you would therefore have to cancel.

The salary of a radio producer depends on the company you are working for. The BBC offers well-defined and protected conditions. On the other hand, a small community radio team will probably not. A graduate with some relevant experience would probably hope to earn up to £16,000 per year. A non-graduate entry position would earn around £12,500 a year. Senior level salaries with experience can range from £30,000 all the way up to £45,000. Dependent on experience, a freelance radio producer can earn between £150 to £300 a day, but this can vary.

With experience and a broad range of skills, you could progress to move up in this career. You can move up into a larger station which will broadcast to a wider audience, or to a regional or national station from a local one. This would then probably increase your salary.

An example of a job advertisement for a radio producer is HERE.

Radio Presenter

A radio presenter has two main responsibilities or roles. These are; being the voice of the radio station or that particular radio programme and getting a certain tone and style across to the listeners in order to establish a relationship with the listeners.
To get this job, you will need to have certain skills and characteristics.
These include;

• having fantastic presentation and performance,
• being able to use a variety of equipment used to record,
• being knowledgeable on relevant subjects or topics,
• being able to draw information from people,
• knowing how to act calmly under pressure,
• able to meet tight deadlines,
• and having knowledge on the different radio stations and programme styles. 

Different radio presenters will have different roles depending on what type of radio station they're on - local, national, community, public service, not for profit, commercial or independent production companies. Whether a radio presenter is in speech-based radio or music-based radio, they will be the voice of the programme either way. They create the radio station's relationship with the listeners using different tones and styles.

 You don't actually need a qualification to become a radio presenter. Most employers would prefer hands-on experience rather than a qualification. They would also want you to have developed presentation skills along with technical skills, as well as a distinctive personal style too. Employers don't expect you to have a media-related degree, they sometimes actually prefer a different topic completely - especially if it's followed on by a postgraduate qualification in radio production. A radio course in higher education has been closely assessed by the radio industry so that they provide you the skills that prepare you for a radio career. This is assessed and then awarded the Creative Skillset Tick for the high standard of education they provide. One of the best ways of becoming a radio presenter is by beginning at entry-level and then taking every single presenting opportunity possible so that you can develop your presenting skills until a full-time job can be secured. From time to time, larger broadcasters run talent development schemes. Places are highly limited and therefore you have to show that you have had hands-on experience, rather than particular qualifications. To gain this experience, student, community or hospital radios could help you seek presenting opportunities.  At times, radio presenters are recruited due to their specialist knowledge or celebrity profile - e.g. Nick Grimshaw. Some come from working on newspapers and magazines, or in the music business. Others move from radio from presentation roles in TV.

Work conditions vary dependent on the broadcast medium and the type of programme involved. For example, the working conditios for a presenter on a small local radio station with a show in the middle of the night will be almost completely different conditions for a high-profile celebrity with a prime-time television show. A lot of presenters employ an agent to work out the working terms and conditions on their behalf. This is usually for national radio stations.

Starting salaries differ from person to person, station to station and even programme to programme. The salary also depends on whether the radio presenter is working full time or part time for a radio station or working freelance. Experience helps significantly in negotiating fees upwards. Starting salaries can begin at just £14,000 per year. They can rise all the way up to £100,000 upwards per year. This high pay will usually be paid to someone with significant experience. Particular successful/celebrity presenters may earn remarkably higher salaries. 

For presenters who work freelance, which are most radio radio presenters, payments are usually calculated per show or on short, fixed-term contracts to deliver a certain amount of programmes. There are some opportunities for radio presenters to take breaks between contracts. Radio presenting work is rarely 9am-5pm. Hours for a presenter can be long and unsocial, involving early mornings, evenings and/or weekends, This depends on the timing of the programme and whether it is live or pre-recorded. Not only do they work during broadcast hours, they have to do pre-show preparation, have meetings with the producer(s), research, write scripts, rehearse and also create post-show reviews.The reviews include discussing the broadcast with the producer and then start to plan the next show in advance. This is all on top of the actual broadcast too.

Presenters may have a public image to maintain and, therefore, must be prepared for some loss of privacy. The type of programme decides whether there is travel during the working day, whether interviews or voxpops need to be made too. 47% of those working in the radio broadcasting industry are female, and so you would have a slightly lower chance of becoming a radio presenter if you are female.

A job advert for radio presenting is HERE.
                                                                                                       

Photographer

A photographer in media's typical work activities will include -

• working with clients to discuss the images the client requires and how they want to use them,
• manage the business aspects of working, including administration, scheduling work, invoicing and basic accounting,
• preparing proofs for approval,
• carrying out research and preparation for a shoot and developing a good portfolio,
• building a network of contacts,
• achieving a reputation for quality and reliability on order to secure future assignments.

The salary a photographer will get depends on how high up in the business they are. Typically, at the start of the career, a photographer will earn £10,500 per annum to £21,250 per annum. Salaries at the highest end of media photography range from £25,000 to £65,000. Those who become famous or highly sought because they have photographed certain shots of particular celebrities, e.g. Justin Bieber or Kim Kardashian, can make a lot more than these salaries.

The job contract that most typical photographers have is freelance. This means that they can pick and choose when to work depending on when is convenient for them, but they not get sick pay or holiday pay. The job contract a photographer has depends on the type of photography they do. For example, a press photographer will work freelance so they can choose a company to be paid by depending on how much is offered per photograph etc.
The photography business has long and unpredictable hours and sometimes there is little or no work. They can be working all through the day and night dependent on what exactly they're photographing, whether it be a party until early hours of the morning or just a celebrity wedding throughout the day. Sometimes you will have a week completely booked up with events to photograph, but sometimes there will be no work. For example, wedding season is throughout the summer months. This will be a particularly busy time for photographers as every couple wants to capture their wedding day. They mean even put their prices up during particular seasons as they know they will get work whether they're expensive or not.
Travel for photographers can be across the UK or even abroad, which obviously costs a lot and isn't convenient - although a holiday will be made from it.
 There are more male photographers than female which can be seen as sexist. This could possibly mean that if you're female then you have less of a chance to gain a job being a photographer than if you're male.

The way to become a photographer in media is by being either a graduate or a diplomate from university. Although you can become a photographer with either being a diplomate or a graduate, there are certain qualifications in subjects that will increase your chances of getting this job. These include: fine art; digital managing; art and design and media studies. You would need a strong CV and portfolio of previous work. Work experience will be essential to get this competitive job. A postgraduate qualification isn't essential but may help in more competitive areas of photography such as fashion and advertising.

An example job application for this job is HERE

Introduction