All ASCAP music banned from radio

[Eyeball]

I don't think this has ever come up on the forum.

"Jan 1, 1941

* Radio bans American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) music, 1941. On December 31, 1940, ASCAP's 5-year contract with radio broadcasters, under which the networks and their local affiliates had been paying roughly $4.5 million annually for music licenses, expired.

When ASCAP demanded double their previous licensing fees, radio executives balked and pulled all ASCAP controlled music from the airways. They filled the void with public domain tunes, country music, and and songs by young, inexperienced writers who had no ASCAP affiliation.

Broadcasters and ASCAP came to terms in October of 1941. During this 10-month period of the ban, the economic viability of many big bands was threatened as they were not able to promote record sales over the radio."