ASCAP singing with radio deal.

This article focuses on the deal between ASCAP and the Radio Music License Committee. One of the nation's leading music licensing societies and the broadcast industry won approval for slightly more than$ 1.7 billion for royalty payments for music aired over the radio and streamed on the Web. The deal which represents 12,000 U.S. commercial radio stations, was approved by U.S. District Judge William Connor and was made public Monday. The flat fee replaces the current royalty payment system that pays ASCAP about 1.6% of a station's gross revenues. Royalty payments have been made through an interim arrangement that keeps the old system in place. The deal also ends an administrative nightmare that caused radio stations and ASCAP auditors to calculate the revenue and make yearly adjustments.