BMG US PRESIDENT ZACH KATZ ELECTED TO ASCAP BOARD OF DIRECTORS


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - October 03, 2016) - ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) President and Chairman Paul Williams announced today that Zach Katz, President Repertoire and Marketing at BMG US, has been elected to the ASCAP Board of Directors.

"Zach will be such a valuable asset to ASCAP as we work to best serve our members," said Williams. "His years of truly excellent work in the music business reflect a deep respect for the art of songwriting, and a nuanced understanding of the issues facing our members in this industry. Zach will surely contribute meaningfully to our continuing mission to protect the rights of our writer and publisher members."

Zach Katz said, "It is truly an honor to join ASCAP, an organization whose unwavering commitment helps songwriters reach for their highest dreams every single day. We are experiencing a crucial time in the music business and I am grateful to have an opportunity to have a voice in this conversation. I am here to serve and make a positive difference."

Katz is responsible for a roster at BMG US which includes star writers such as Bruno Mars, will.i.am, DJ Snake, John Legend, Pitbull, Frank Ocean and Quincy Jones and recording artists such as blink-182, Janet Jackson, Alabama, Iron Maiden, Scarface and OK Go. Katz has overseen the signing of exceptional talents such as Bebe Rexha, Monsters & Strangerz, John Ryan, Bibi Bourelly, The Strokes, Greg Wells, Verse Simmonds, Gente De Zona and Nathaniel Rateliff. Working from BMG's Los Angeles HQ, Katz is also responsible for BMG teams in New York and Nashville. BMG was named ASCAP's Independent Publisher of the Year at the 2016 ASCAP Pop Music Awards in April.

Prior to BMG, Katz co-founded record label Beluga Heights with his client/partner JR Rotem, where they scored multi-million album sales and tens of millions of singles sales with artists including Jason Derulo and Sean Kingston. Previously he spent many years as a music manager and served as GM of Groove Attack USA. He began his career in 1996 as a music attorney.

About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business -- from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With 585,000 members representing more than 10 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com

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ASCAP Board Member and BMG US President Zach Katz