you may have heard a little about the 'Day of Silence' that broadcasters participated in on June 26th.
that recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) in the U.S. not only more than doubles the royalties paid on songs, it also makes no distinction, unlike all decisions before it, between public non-commercial radio and commercial radio. royalties are paid on a flat per song per listener basis and many smaller internet stations will be forced to shut down for good when this legislation takes effect on July 15th, and retroactively penalizes stations back until Jan 1st, 2006.
the Internet Radio Equality Act supports the need for
multiple licensing levels along the lines of the ones that currently exist. from National Public Radio:
On Friday, March 2, 2007, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) released a decision that will dramatically increase the royalties payments owed to rights holders to stream sound recordings of music offered on the internet. This includes public radio websites. Responding to requests from several parties (including NPR, representing public radio), the Board then granted a rehearing on this issue, with written arguments due on April 2.
The decision by the CRB affects all public radio stations because it:
* Eliminates the distinction between noncommercial and commercial media
* Requires complicated record-keeping that will place a huge burden on stations
* Penalizes public radio for fulfilling its statutorily-mandated mission of bringing new, culturally enriching programming to the American public
* Sets a chilling precedent for future rights discussions, negotiations and litigation that may undermine non-commercial public service programming
links:
Tell Them Public Matters - Radio Online-Radio Royalty Fight Reaches New Pitch - WSJ.com FMC | Statement on Webcasting Rates Savenetradio.org News: Higher Music Royalty Rates — KCRW | 89.9FM
to support the Internet Radio Equality Act click
here to personalize a letter to your representatives in congress, or write your local representatives