The trash programming aside, I was forced to put on my activist hat and communicate with a local TV station this morning.

During a morning "newsish" show (a network version) the obligatory recitation of the increased cost of observing the "Twelve Days of Christmas" was presented, but at the end of the bit one of the commentators quipped "but you can still sing it for free."

WRONG.

"In the early 20th century, English composer Frederic Austin wrote an arrangement in which he added his melody from "Five gold rings" onwards,[5] which has since become standard. The copyright to this arrangement was registered in 1909 and is still active by its owners, Novello & Co. Limited."

The copyright cops will get ya.

Too typical of the uninformed telling lies to the ignorant.

John