ASCAP Targets Radio Groups In Copyright Infringement Suits. | Story

ASCAP has launched a new round of copyright infringement litigation against four radio groups, alleging they continued airing copyrighted music for months or years after losing their licenses for nonpayment.

The performing rights organization announced Tuesday on behalf of a variety of rights holders that it has filed federal lawsuits against Haugo Broadcasting in South Dakota, Spoon River Media in Indiana, White Mountains Broadcasting in New Hampshire, and Taylor Communications in Mississippi. ASCAP says the groups aired music from its repertory without a license and despite repeated efforts to resolve unpaid licensing fees.

“We don’t take legal action lightly,” ASCAP Chief Legal and Business Affairs Officer Clara Kim says in a statement. “When a station refuses to pay for the music that makes their business possible, we have a responsibility to our members to take action.”

In South Dakota, ASCAP alleges Haugo Broadcasting and owner Christian Haugo have continued airing music on CHR “Hits 102.7” KXMZ, country “Kick 104” KIQK, rock “95.1 K-Sky” KSQY-FM, and sports KTOQ (1340) after their ASCAP license was terminated on April 9, 2024. The complaint says the company became seriously delinquent in paying license fees, and that efforts to negotiate a payment plan ultimately failed before ASCAP terminated the license. ASCAP is seeking damages tied to 14 alleged acts of infringement including songs like Sia’s “Cheap Thrills,” Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold,” and Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”

In Indiana, ASCAP alleges Spoon River Media and owner Matthew Moore have operated its stations without an ASCAP license since November 2023. But its complaint alleges the music kept airing on stations including country “96.7 The Eagle” WCOE and classic rock WLOI (1540) in La Porte, IN, along with adult hits “Q-98.1” WILP-FM in Cuba, IL and country WBYS (1560) in Canton, IL.

The New Hampshire lawsuit alleges White Mountains Broadcasting stations classic rock “The Outlaw” WOXX/WOTX/WKDR (97.1/93.7/1490), “Oldies 1400” WLTN, hot AC “Kiss 102.3” WXXS and its simulcast WMOU (1230) saw their ASCAP licenses terminated in May 2024 after the stations became delinquent on license payments. But the suit says songs like Styx’s “Renegade,” The Doors’ “L.A. Woman,” Asia’s “Heat of the Moment,” Bad Company’s “Burning Sky,” and Electric Light Orchestra’s “Out in the Cold,”” kept on airing on WOXX and WOTX during April 2026.

Taylor Communications’ case centers on classic hits “Bullseye 95.5” WOXD Oxford, MS. ASCAP alleges the station has operated without a license since Jan. 22 after its agreement was terminated for nonpayment. According to the complaint, Taylor Communications and owner Jason Plunk had not paid licensing fees for more than three years when the license was canceled, despite repeated outreach from ASCAP.

ASCAP says WOXD aired 11 songs during a three-day period in April from its repertoire without any license. They include Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason,” Don Henley’s “All She Wants To Do Is Dance,” Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be With You,” and Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time,” among others. Like the other cases, ASCAP says the songs cited in the lawsuit are only a sample of a larger pattern of unauthorized performances documented through recordings obtained from a third-party monitoring service.

ASCAP’s lawsuits seek injunctions preventing further unauthorized performances and statutory damages under federal copyright law. In the Haugo case alone, ASCAP is seeking damages tied to 14 alleged acts of infringement, with federal law permitting awards of up to $150,000 per work in cases of willful infringement.

“Music is the lifeblood of radio, and the overwhelming majority of radio stations follow the law,” ASCAP President Paul Williams says in a statement. “Radio station owners know that an ASCAP blanket license allows them to offer music legally, efficiently and at a reasonable price — while compensating music creators fairly.”

ASCAP represents more than 1.1 million songwriters, composers and music publishers and licenses a repertory of more than 20 million musical works. The organization says roughly 90% of the license fees it collects are distributed to music creators as royalties.