Copyright agency backs Italian music quotas for radio

(ANSA) - Rome, February 26 - SIAE, the Italian royalties clearinghouse for copyrighted artistic material, said Tuesday that it was in favour of a proposal by a League MP to force radio stations to make sure at least one third of the songs they play are in Italian. "This initiative would have a positive impact on the Italian radio market, generating greater royalties and contributing to increasing the quantity of music produced in Italy," said SIAE President Giulio Repetti Mogol. The proposal for Italian music quotas for radio was made by Alessandro Morelli, the president of the Lower House's transport and telecommunications committee.