07.02.07
Save Net Radio
The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on July 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!). Webcasters across the country participated in a national Day of Silence this week to increase awareness about this looming threat and gather support for the SaveNetRadio collation and our campaign to preserve music diversity on-line. The Internet Radio Equality Act is currently being considered by both the House and the Senate. This bill will set royalty rates for Internet radio equal to the royalty rate paid by satellite radio, and has gained over 120 cosponsors in the House. - www.savenetradio.org
Do you listen to net radio? I have been listening to various internet radio websites like shoutcast.com, last.fm, and Pandora over the past few years and I must say that this new law is a vicious attack on the net radio companies. This new law is forcing these net radio stations to shut down for good unless the Internet Radio Equality bill is passed. It is crucial that this act receives a lot of attention in the weeks to come as US senators will discuss the importance of more compatible regulations.
Why did the US Government decide to act in favor of passing this bill which hiked royalty fees so high that it would essentially bankrupt each broadcaster? Are all of these net radio websites going to sell out to google or yahoo? My skepticism drives me to believe that there are many corporate interests behind this bill. Why did the Copyright Royalty Board push the royalty rate increase? Was it because the record industry is “losing” money? Were many musicians honesty complaining that they were losing millions in unpaid royalties? These are some of the questions some of us should be asking.
www.savenetradio.org
