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Hairdressers in Barcelona are threatening a rebellion over a government plan to make hair salons pay royalties for playing the radio in their shops. Sarah Rainsford reports from Barcelona.

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This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI’s THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI’s THE WORLD is the program audio.

KATY CLARK:  If you’re going for a haircut in northeast Spain any time soon, you might want to bring your own music.  Hundreds of salons in the autonomous region of Catalonia are threatening to switch off their radios.  They’re up in arms about a requirement that they pay royalties.  Sarah Rainsford reports from Barcelona.

SARAH RAINSFORD:  The familiar sounds of a barbershop.  The hum of the razor.  The snip of scissors.  The swish of soapy water in the sink.  And, of course, there’s this.  But soon, that could be silence.  Salons in Spain have just been informed that they have to pay royalties to play the radio.  It’s an existing rule that was rarely enforced before and it has hairdressers up in arms.  It all started when an inspector called here at Esteban’s salon and he refused to pay.  They threatened legal action, Esteban tells me, so I had to agree, but it’s not fair.  It’s just a radio.  Esteban now pays around $9.00 a month for the privilege of playing his radio.  It’s hardly a fortune, but the hairdressers resent any fee when radio stations already pay royalties to musicians.  So hundred of salons have declared that when the inspector comes to call on them, they’ll switch the music off.  They won’t pay a cent.  Albert Swanky’s salon hasn’t been inspected yet, so the mood music is still on here.  But a sign on the counter warns clients they’ll have to bring their MP3 players soon to create their own ambiance.  Albert says one of his customers has already offered to sing during his haircut.  Original music only of course.  The organization that protects music copyright in Spain isn’t impressed with the hairdresser’s rebellion.  Sky, as its known, says artists here already lose out because so many people download their music illegally.  They shouldn’t have to give up their public performance rights.  Javier Trujillo is the commercial director of Sky.

INTERPRETER:   All public spaces have to pay to play music.  Supermarkets, hotels, and hairdressers.  If they use a piece of work, they need the artist’s permission.  We’re here to enforce that law and protect the artists, so they can continue to create.

RAINSFORD: But there’s not much sympathy for that back at the salons where talk of a tax on the radio is creating a buzz.  This is Carlos, who’s in for a quick trim.

CARLOS:  What is the next step?  You might be paying a tax because you have music in your car, or your home, whatever.

RAINSFORD: The salon revolt started in Catalonia, but the angry hairdressers are threatening to take it country-wide, adamant that this unpopular music tax should get the chop.  For The World, I’m Sarah Rainsford in Barcelona.

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