PPL boss urges industry to shop pubs and bars dodging music fees

Managing director Peter Leathem called on the trade to help PPL crack down on operators who are either paying the wrong tariff or don’t have a music licence at all.

His appeal came following a recent fact-finding visit to Scunthorpe that discovered one-third of venues either did not have a PPL licence or were paying the wrong tariff, while in Birmingham the proportion was roughly one in six.

Speaking at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers’ (ALMR) anniversary conference last week, Leathem told delegates: “We are going to put more and more effort into this.

“We are not trying to put the burden on to you guys, we are saying we want you to help us,” he said. Leathem stressed reports would be “private and confidential”.

The plea comes amid trade criticism of PPL’s proposal to increase its specially featured entertainment (SFE) fees by up to 4,000% for the largest venues, plans labelled “ludicrous” by ALMR chief executive Nick Bish.

Leathem defended the move, saying music in pubs had been under-priced for a long time and conditions in the music industry were “challenging”. He added: “We are not looking for anything more than a fair price.”

PPL began a consultation into the proposed hikes last year and the trade has teamed up to raise between £250,000 and £300,000​ to fight the planned charges.

Delegates lined up to criticise PPL’s stance. John Hayes, chairman of the Bar Entertainment & Dance Association, which ratified its merger with the ALMR last week, said PPL “should get its own house in order” rather than ask operators to do its job for them.

Phil Thorley, operations director of Thorley Taverns, warned PPL not to “kill the goose that lays the golden egg”, adding: “My father has a phrase — ‘even Dick Turpin wore a mask’.”

Leathem said that the rest of the year would be dedicated to discussions with the industry over the SFE proposals.