Donald Thurston re-elected board chairman at BMI annual meeting; Preston re-elected president and CEO.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 1995--BMI directors today re-elected Donald A. Thurston, president of Berkshire Broadcasting Co., Inc., in North Adams, Mass., as chairman of BMI's board.

Frances W. Preston was re-elected President and chief executive officer of the performing rights organization.

The company's shareholders voted at the company's annual meeting on Friday, Nov. 3 to expand board membership from 13 to 16 members. Re-elected as directors were: James G. Babb of Outlet Communications, Inc., Cranston, RI; Joseph A. Carriere of Gray Communications, Monroe, La.; Harold C. Crump of KSTP-TV, St. Paul, Minn.; Kenn J. Elkins of Pulitzer Broadcasting, St. Louis; J. Clinton Formby of The Formby Stations, Hereford, Tex.; Philip A. Jones of Meredith Broadcasting, Des Moines, Iowa; Clifford M. Kirtland of Noro Mosley Partners, Atlanta; Francis A. Martin, III of US Media Group of San Francisco; Frank E. Melton of TV-3, Inc., Jackson, Miss.; Frances W. Preston, president and CEO of BMI; George V. Willoughby, Esq., Seattle; K. James Yager of Benedek Broadcasting Corp.; Rockford, Ill.; as well as Donald A. Thurston.

Newly elected to the board were: Willard Hoyt of Nationwide Communications Inc., Columbus, Ohio; David Sherman of Capital Cities/ABC, Inc., New York City; and G. Neil Smith of Cosmos Broadcasting Corp., Greenville, N.C.

Hoyt has been vice president and treasurer of Nationwide Communications Inc., since 1975. NCI currently owns and operates twelve radio stations. During his career, Hoyt has served as president and as a board member of the BCFM and as chairman of the Television Music License Committee.

Sherman has been vice president, music and business affairs at Capital Cities/ABC since 1993. He oversees all areas of music including publishing, acquisitions, clearance and registration, and has business affairs supervision over projects relating to theatrical films and major award programs.

Smith has been vice president, Finance of Cosmos Broadcasting Corp., since August 1993, and had been vice president and controller since May 1987. He has financial responsibility for Cosmos Broadcasting, Cable Vantage Inc. and Carolina Cable Partners.

BMI is a music performing rights organization that collects and distributes license fees on behalf of over 110,000 songwriters and composers and 60,000 music publishers with a repertoire of over 3 million works in all areas of music.

Founded by a group of leading radio executives in 1939, BMI's growth and the success of its songwriters has made BMI the premiere organization in its field.

Among the legendary songwriters and composers BMI represents in different musical genres are Hank Williams Sr., Dave Brubeck, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Beetles, Holland Dozier-Holland, Antonio Carlos Jobim and the Beach Boys to name just a handful. The organization also represents such current chart-toppers as Janet Jackson, Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Babyface, Mariah Carey, Ace of Base (STIM), Toni Braxton, Jon Secada, Michael Bolton, Counting Crows, Pink Floyd (PRS), The Cranberries (PRS), Spin Doctors and R. Kelly.

The organization's pop, rock, R&B, country and jazz repertoire is unparalleled. A listing of the Top 100 singles of the rock era by Rolling Stone magazine showed BMI represented 75% of the works. Approximately 80% of the inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are represented by BMI, as are more than 80% of the Country Music Hall of Fame inductees and more than 90% of those honored with Pioneer Awards by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation.

CONTACT: BMI, New York

Robbin Ahrold, 212/830-2502