This was posted on allaccess.com

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS said TUESDAY that a majority of the House of Representatives now opposes legislation that would require radio stations to pay a performance royalty to all artists whose music it plays. With four new signatures yesterday, the resolution has 219 co-sponsors, a majority of the 435-member House.

The resolution before CONGRESS is called The Local Radio Freedom Act, and reads "CONGRESS should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings."

The NAB says artists are compensated by the promotional value of radio airplay, which traditionally has driven most music sales. The NAB says a royalty system would cost the radio industry up to $7 billion a year, more than 40% of its current revenue.

"It would force many stations to stop playing music altogether," said NAB EVP/Press-Media Relations DENNIS WHARTON. "Music formats would be lost. TODAY's announcement sends a powerful message to foreign-owned record labels that CONGRESS is not falling for their bogus campaign to blame local radio stations for their financial woes. NAB thanks those members of Congress who appreciate the fact that free radio airplay of music generates untold millions into the wallets of performers and record labels. We will continue to educate policymakers on the devastating impact this RIAA tax would have on AMERICA's hometown radio stations."

The Local Radio Freedom Act is a non-binding resolution and not a law forbidding royalties. An identical resolution in the Senate, introduced just last month, now has the support of 13 Senators.

Recording industry groups, including the MUSICFIRST COALITION, note that most countries require radio to pay performance royalties. Satellite and Internet radio also pay royalties.

In response to THE NAB's announcement, the COALITION said, “When you look at H.R. 4789, the Performance Rights Act, and corporate radio’s non-binding resolution, there’s not too much we disagree on. We think corporate radio should pay the artists and musicians who bring music to life and listeners ears to the radio dial. They don’t. But on a broad range of issues we agree."

Just more devaluing of the artist, their creations and music in general.

WHOA.

Anyone that had any doubts about the industry and the clear channel monster...there you go

The fact that these people have to do this is inSANE.

Dance said:

The funny part is, they MAKE billions in revenue a year.

House Subcommittee Passes Royalty Bill, NAB Girds For War On House Floor

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property met TODAY and approved a bill requiring radio stations to pay royalties to performers and record labels. The vote came while Representatives, often of the same party, were sending letters to their colleagues , advocating one side of this issue or the other.

Meanwhile, the NAB put the best spin on the situation, by signifying its intention to wage all-out war once the vote come to the full House floor. EVP DENNIS WHARTON released the following statement:

"Today's vote comes as a complete non-surprise, given the House IP Subcommittee's history of support for the RIAA-backed tax on local radio stations. Despite TODAY's action, there remains broad bipartisan resistance to the RIAA tax from members of Congress who question whether a punitive fee on America's hometown radio stations should be used to bail out the failing business model of foreign-owned record labels."

Cue The Happy People

The MUSICFIRST COALITION's Exec. Dir. DOYLE BARTLETT was pleased with the House vote. “Subcommittee passage of H.R. 4789 is a major victory for America’s artists and musicians and a major triumph for fundamental fairness. We applaud Representatives BERMAN and ISSA and the members of the subcommittee for their hard work on this bill. With their leadership and support we have made significant progress toward creating a fair performance right on radio. But we still have a long way to go."

“A loophole in the law lets AM and FM music radio stations earn $16 billion a year is advertising revenue without compensating the artists and musicians who bring music to life and listeners’ ears to the radio dial, he continued. "It’s not right, it’s not fair and we are going to make sure it is changed. All other music platforms – satellite radio, Internet webcasts, and cable television music stations – pay artists and musicians to use their music. It’s only fair that terrestrial radio be held to the same standards."

Sen. PATRICK lEAHY (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will take up the bill next, gave it his full endorsement: "Members of the House Judiciary Committee today took the first steps in moving forward legislation to provide fair performance rights to artists. Since I joined with Sen. HATCH and our friends in the House last year to introduce performance rights legislation, I have heard from both performers and local radio stations about this legislation. The House Subcommittee’s mark today has continued the debate on how best to protect the rights of performers and songwriters, and the needs of noncommercial and small commercial radio stations, like many stations in VERMONT. I hope the Judiciary Committee might be able to turn its attention to this issue before the end of the year."

Dueling Letters

Yesterday, Reps. GENE GREEN (D-TX) and MIKE CONAWAY (R-TX) circulated a letter to colleagues noting the momentum for the Local Radio Freedom Act, which staunchly opposes a performance tax. The letter, which urges additional support for the resolution, cites the official co-sponsor count according to the Library of Congress, 221, a figure that includes 219 active members of House of Representatives.

A companion resolution, S. Con. Res. 82, has been introduced in the Senate and is supported by 13 senators. Called The Local Radio Freedom Act, it reads "Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings."

At the same time, Reps. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN), DARRELL ISSA (R-CA) and JOHN SHADEGG (R-AZ) sent their own letter to fellow Republicans, urging support of the royalty bill, which is sponsored by a Democrat, Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property Chairman HOWARD BERMAN.

The NAB, which is fighting the measure, said YESTERDAY (NET NEWS 6/25), that it had secured support from a majority of House members on a resolution opposing the bill. But CNN reports the recording industry, which stands to gain millions from the bill, isn't giving up.

"The resolution was introduced before the bill" was drafted, said NATIONAL ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS & SCIENCES VP DARYL FRIEDMAN. "All of those things ended up being accommodated in the bill," he said, arguing that those changes could give some members leeway to vote for both proposals.

music radio in all forms is now officially dead

:waves good bye to my college and indie stations:


WHAT

THE

FUCK.

The key thats missing here is that "singers" dont get paid, the writers do, so nowadays, almost no one writes so of course they are bitching about this. The reason Songwriters get paid is because a long time ago they got together and got this on the books, but that was back in the day when everyone was writing. But lets be real, do you think that Ginuwine should get paid$$ for a radio station playing his version of "when doves cry"? sorry im not on that page, if you cover or dont write, your just signing your life away.

lastdecember said:

That is so true. The only singers (that don't write) that made lots of money are people like Diana Ross and Whitney Houston. They were smart enough to work out great deals with their record companies as well as demand LOTS of money for concerts and appearances.

daPrettyman said:

I think it's not so much that as it is just getting out and doing shows.

Most acts today couldn't gig if they wanted to...

Say what you want about Nippy and Dianerz and their substance issues, but they will and can put in the work and they have the body of work and listeners to support that.

Dance said: