Broadcasting industry forms EU lobby group

NEWS A pan-European initiative to provide representation for the views of the broadcasting industry is to be launched by digital broadcast company Music Choice this week. Simon Bazalgette, CEO of Music Choice - which is a joint venture between EMI, Sony and Warner - claims the European Music Service Providers Association will give the industry a much-needed voice at European regulatory level. Bazalgette told Silicon.com: "There has been a lot of regulation where our views haven't been getting through to the regulators as well as it could do. This association should give us a level playing field." He noted that when the Copyright Directive went through European Parliament last year, the copyright societies and the telecoms industry made their voices heard while the music broadcasting industry did not. Twelve companies have funded the group - including French company MultiMusic, AEI Music, and Sound Margin Systems - however, Bazalgette expects many more to join in coming months.