Thanks to all for your interesting and informative feedback on this topic. Though it clears up a lot of confusion about royalties, it also opens the doors to other questions:

1) Do most established Nursing Homes and Retirement & Community Center type venues routinely pay annual fees to ASCAP/BMI to cover their scheduled live music entertainment?

2) How about street musicians who play 'for tips' in the public square? Do they ever get cited by the authorities for not paying copyright fees ? I assume that most large organized events (fairs, conventions, etc) routinely include whatever ASCAP/BMI royalty fees are required to pay in their operating budget.

3) How about PRIVATE (dance party) clubs & Weddings, where the entertainer/band leader himself is the host, providing a mix of both DJ & live music, and perhaps even charging a door 'cover charge'. Is the entertainer-host himself RESPONSIBLE for paying royalty fees to ASCAP/BMI in this situation?

Scott

Scott I think that is why they go after the venue for the fees. If the banquet hall pays a fee then everyone that plays there is covered.
I don't know about nursing homes although I could imagine the newspaper story about the ascap rep that closed down the nursing homes' rec hall because it didn't pay.
How do you collect from a transient street performer? Which I can only imagine is why they decided to go after the venues instead of the performer at the local level.
I suppose if they could track down the performer at the backyard wedding he is ultimately responsable to pay a fee.

Here's an article from a DJ Publication discussing this issue. No real "new" info, but thought it might contribute...
http://www.mobilebeat.com/archives.asp?art=105

Bill in Dayton