CBRA Media Monitoring Tariffs 2020-2022

Summary#

This item publishes the text of the CBRA Commercial Media Monitoring Tariff (2020-2022) and the CBRA Non-Commercial Media Monitoring Tariff (2020-2022). It sets rules, limits and fees for organizations that record, copy, sell or provide excerpts and transcripts of TV and radio broadcasts for media monitoring.

What it does#

• Defines who is a monitor and what counts as a CBRA program or signal, and says the tariff covers only material where a CBRA broadcaster owns or controls the copyright.
• Sets excerpt limits:
  • A monitor may provide up to 2 excerpts per program of up to 10 minutes each.
  • Up to 10% of items in certain delivery formats may exceed those limits.
• Allows delivery and database access under technical and time limits:
  • Video excerpts attached to email or shown in databases must be at most 320 × 240 pixels and 15 frames per second.
  • Commercial database excerpts must be removed within 10 days; non-commercial database excerpts within 6 months.
• Sets retention and destruction rules:
  • Commercial monitors must destroy most recorded items within 31 days (transcripts: 12 months).
  • Non-commercial monitors must destroy most recorded items within 6 months (transcripts: 10 years).
• Sets fees and payment schedules:
  • Commercial monitors pay royalties equal to 14% of CBRA-related gross income monthly.
  • Non-commercial monitors pay royalties equal to 14% of CBRA-related monitoring costs each semester.
• Gives a small-operator option:
  • Monitors who certify they expect total media monitoring revenues or costs below $100,000 for a year can use simplified reporting and different payment timing, but must notify CBRA and meet conditions.
• Places limits on customers and use:
  • Commercial monitors can sell items only to corporations and public-sector organizations; non-commercial monitors only to government users.
  • All customers must agree in writing to use clips or transcripts only for private, internal, non-commercial review and analysis.
• Requires record-keeping, reporting and audits:
  • Monitors must keep records for 6 years and provide periodic reports to CBRA.
• Includes enforcement and liability rules:
  • Failing to pay or otherwise comply can suspend a monitor’s rights after 5 business days (or from the relevant month/semester) and may trigger indemnity and audit-cost claims.

Who's affected#

• Media monitoring firms and departments that record, excerpt or sell radio and TV content — both commercial monitors and public-sector (government) monitors.
• Customers of those firms: corporations, public sector organizations and government users who receive monitoring products.
• CBRA broadcasters (the rights holders) who get the royalties and control approvals.
• Smaller monitors that estimate under $100,000 in revenues or costs may be affected by the simplified rules.

Why it matters#

• It clarifies what monitoring companies can legally copy and sell from broadcasts, and under what technical, time and customer-use limits. That affects how clips and transcripts are delivered to PR teams, governments and businesses.
• The 14% royalty and the reporting, retention and security requirements create a predictable cost and compliance burden for monitoring services. Small providers may qualify for simplified rules if below $100,000, but still must certify and report.
• The tariffs restrict reuse: customers are limited to private, internal uses only. That can change how communications, legal or campaign teams can use broadcast clips in public-facing or legal contexts.
• The rules also note that some parts of broadcasts (for example, music or third-party feeds) may not be covered by the tariff, so additional permissions could still be needed.