BBC Cymru Wales says a substantial offer was turned down but the body representing the musicians says it wants a 'fair price for Welsh music' The BBC Trust has urged both sides in a dispute over royalty payments to Welsh language musicians to reach a "fair and affordable" settlement.Talks between the BBC and Eos, the body representing more than 300 artists, have stalled as the 1 January deadline takes effect.
From New Year's Day, Radio Cymru loses the right to to play over 30,000 songs.
BBC Cymru Wales says a substantial offer was turned down but Eos says it wants a "fair price for Welsh music".
The right to broadcast the songs of more than 300 Welsh-language musicians and music publishers will rest with Eos from 1 January.
Continue reading the main storyI urge both parties to reach a fair and affordable settlement so that Radio Cymru can quickly return to providing its usual comprehensive and much loved service”End Quote Elan Closs Stephens BBC National Trustee for Wales The BBC Trust - the BBC's governing body which is independent of the corporation's management - said it was in nobody's interest for the dispute to continue.
BBC National Trustee for Wales Elan Closs Stephens said: "I urge both parties to reach a fair and affordable settlement so that Radio Cymru can quickly return to providing its usual comprehensive and much loved service."
If an agreement is not reached, the station will broadcast programmes with a number of changes from Tuesday.
'Very disappointed'Daily output will be reduced by two hours, as the station will start broadcasting an hour later in the morning at 06:30 GMT, finishing an hour early at 23:00 GMT.
Daytime playlists will include popular classical and instrumental music, as well as a number of English language and international artists.
The C2 evening programmes - which showcase new Welsh music - will be cut to an hour.
BBC Cymru Wales said in a statement it was "very disappointed" an agreement had not been reached and Radio Cymru programmes would be affected.
"Radio Cymru's commitment to support and develop Welsh music is a longstanding one - and we have listened carefully to the concerns of Welsh language composers and artists during this dispute," the statement said.
"Both the BBC and Eos want to ensure that a fair outcome is achieved - and it is a fair outcome for all parties that we will be focusing on when further talks with Eos take place next week."
The dispute arose from a change by the Performing Rights Society (PRS) in 2007 which many Welsh language artists claim cut their royalty payments by as much as 85%.
Since then, an alliance of Welsh musicians and composers have sought to improve the payments made by broadcasters, launching a new agency in August this year to handle the licensing of their work.
'Lack of respect'From Tuesday the rights to music by 331 artists will transfer from PRS to Eos, requiring radio and TV stations to make agreements with the new agency to continue using music by those artists.
Eos chair Gwilym Morus has said it was a "shame that the BBC have chosen to damage the national radio service because they are unwilling to pay a fair price for Welsh music".
He said he did not want any more harm done to Radio Cymru because both the station and the musicians shared the same audience.
"Regretfully I believe the BBC in London is showing a lack of respect towards their own staff in Wales and towards Welsh culture," he said.
On Saturday the Welsh-language TV station S4C confirmed it had reached agreement with Eos over the use of its artists' music.
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