A COMPANY that makes communion wafers has got into an unholy row over having the radio on at work.

The problem started when Tom Bennett, who runs St Joseph's Workshops, in Atherton, Wigan, received a call from the Performing Right Society.

The PRS said that if he had a radio on in his workshop he was required by law to pay for a licence.

Mr Bennett was suspicious of the call, thinking it could be a scam. He said he did not want a licence and asked for information about the PRS.

But two days later he received a letter that included a licence and an invoice for £97.62.

Mr Bennett said: "I was livid. They should have sent the information to me and then I could have made a decision whether I needed a licence and could have applied for one. It seems to me they are targeting small businesses."

PRS is a not-for-profit organisation that represents around 50,000 musicians and collects licence fees from anyone playing music in a public place.

In practice this means anywhere that is not home and includes the workplace.

But Mr Bennett, who has run his wafer-making business for 15 years, says this was the first he had heard of the legal requirement.

He contacted the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce following the call from the PRS.

Compliant

The chamber's Nigel McFarlane said: "We want businesses to be compliant but what we won't tolerate is small businesses being made to hand over money for legislation that very few people are aware of.

"It is important for artists to be paid for the work they do but the way it is being done is out and out bullying.

"If the PRS wants to raise awareness we are more than happy to help it do this."

A PRS spokesman said the society had reviewed the phone call with Mr Bennett following the concerns he raised. In each case the PRS found the correct practice had been followed.

The PRS said Mr Bennett had been sent material explaining what the organisation was and what it did, which is standard practice. The PRS spokesman also said that the phone call was not the first point of contact. He said: "Mr Bennett has subsequently informed the PRS that he will no longer be playing music in his business.

"We will not be seeking a PRS Music Licence from him unless this situation changes."

Mr Bennett says he has received an apology from the PRS for the way he was approached and that the invoice for the licence has been written off.

He has set up a website to help raise awareness about radio licensing, www.radionono.blogspot.com .
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