‘American Idol’ Gets Sued
On Friday, Rolling Stone reported that American Idol is being sued by the American Federation of Musicians for the supposed illegal recording tactics involved with a 2007 Idol highlights show.
The suit implies that American Idol knowingly and illegally re-recorded songs using different musicians in the production of a 2007 highlight episode. Live music was re-recorded for subsequent re-runs, and the necessary royalties are reportedly yet unpaid. When the music was re-recorded, the union was not notified. There has been no comment from American Idol on the issue just yet.
The producers (Simon Fuller and the gang at FOX) are required to pay 75% of scale to musicians who appear in the original broadcast and rehearsals, plus 10% of that pay to a union pension fund, with decreasing percentages for each rebroadcast, according to court papers.
An example of this is on the TV Guide channel I’ve watched complete blocks of past AI shows and the music is being re-recorded so they won’t have to pay for these rebroadcasts. I would simply like to go on the record and say come on Simon Fuller and Rupert Murdoc (Head of FOX) if you signed a deal with them then keep your word. I’m sure you’d expect your newly signed artists David Cook, David Archuletta & The Simpsons voice over actors to keep to their contracts.
Do you think the producers of AI and FOX should pay these rebroadcast royalties?
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