Copywritten music on Regional TV

Have recently seen a lot of chart music being played on local news, adverts etc.

Does anyone have an idea as to how much it costs to get permission to use chart/copywritten music on local TV? Or whether it costs anything at all?

Likely to be the same system used by radio stations, namely licenses with PRS and possible PPL and MCPS - not sure what the state of the joint licenses is

In ITV, music has to be cleared before broadcast with a department in Birmingham and then reported afterwards so the required royalties are paid. Don't know what the cost is per track, mostly it's not very much.

The big broadcasters pay a set amount every year to PRS. All comercial music is logged and then sent to PRS so they know how to divi up the money

Off-topic slightly, but I remember Tyne Tees used to often use a contemporary pop video as a filler; even as late as 1996 they played a Spice Girls song quite late at night before Prisoner Cell Block H.

In this instance, were they actually being paid something to promote the record?

I actually remember Meridian doing something similar. Was actually before Prisoner Cell Block H too actually! Or after maybe.

I honestly wonder how much it costs to use a track. I'm talking about Channel here so not a big company, and not exactly the richest company ever either.

Different rules apply to music used in adverts. You need the specific permission of the rights owners to use their material in your ad. Fees are often very large. Usage in programmes or trails is lots cheaper.

Yes, no-one would expect broadcasters to clear/pay for all material in adverts they show.