Cup of Joe
March 7th, 2007, 07:13 PM
I didn't see a thread for this, so I decided to make one.
The Copyright Royalty board is substantially raising the fees paid by internet radio stations, which will wipe out almost every independant online radio station overnight, along with lots of cool site, such as Pandora.
Below is copy and pasted text from BAGeL Radio's Ted Leibowitz where you can find more info, but if you don't feel like reading it all, here's how you can help:
Sign the petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/SIR2007r/petition.html)
Ask your Congressperson (http://www.eff.org/congress/)
Read more about the issue here (http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/archives/internet-radio-copyright-royalty-board-releases-decision-rates-are-going-up-significantly.html?amp;amp;amp;amp;c=895989)
And, the link to the original post.- HERE (http://bagelradio.com/blog/2007/03/its-hollywood-vs-vcr-all-over-again.html#links)
Thank you for your time.
Legal internet broadcasters presently pay sizeable annual fees to ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and SoundExchange. The fee structure already in place makes it so difficult to stay afloat that last year even WOXY.com, one of the most popular and most respected internet radio stations ever, was forced into financial ruin and had to cease operations (until being bailed out by the kind folks at LaLa.com).
The Copyright Royalty Board just substantially increased the fees internet radio sites must pay to record labels -- fees not paid by traditional radio stations -- a move that will kill off every last independent online radio station and websites like Pandora. Once these new rates kick in the wealth of programming available during what will be remembered as the Golden Age of Internet Radio will disappear almost overnight. All that will remain will be the stations and sites funded by the biggest of the big money corporations. You know, the nice folks who currently filter out all of the good music and play the same 40 songs by major label artists over and over again.
SoundExchange, arguing for the rate increase, says that internet radio provides no promotional benefit to arists. SoundExchange is made up of record label executives.
If internet radio provides no promotional benefit to artists, why do record labels, radio promo companies (hired by record labels), and bands send 30-50 CDs a week for airplay consideration on BAGeL Radio?
One industry hand clearly doesn't know what the other is doing, and despite this obvious inconsistency, a government entity called the Copyright Royalty Board adopted the rates and payment structure recommended by SoundExchange...almost to the letter.
Some of you will remember that industry has tried to kill/regulate new technology in the past: the music industry freaked out about CD-burning computers in the 1990s, the film & television industries freaked out about VCRs in the 1980s, the music industry freaked out about cassette recording in the 1970s...well, here we go again, only this time the medium is so new and far-reaching, the industry remains Mr. Magoo-like in it's inability to see the big picture, and the government is so comfortably seated deep in the warm, lush pockets of big business, that the music industry is getting it's short-sighted, ultimately self-defeating way.
Independent internet radio will die if this decision is not reversed.
Please ask your Congressperson (http://www.eff.org/congress/) to reverse the misguided decision of the Copyright Royalty Board. Tell them that internet radio is how you find out about new music. Tell them that when you hear music on internet radio you sometimes click over to the iTunes Music Store or Amazon or wherever to buy it (and while you are at it tell them the last time you did that thanks to hearing something on traditional radio). Tell them that if adopted, the Copyright Royalty Board rates will kill off webcasting -- the most vital and interesting outlet for hearing new music available today. Tell them that the music industry is being very short-sighted and is effectively shooting itself in the head by crushing in its infancy this new, exciting and wide-reaching promotional outlet that it should be embracing.
Sign the petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/SIR2007r/petition.html).
Read more here. (http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/archives/internet-radio-copyright-royalty-board-releases-decision-rates-are-going-up-significantly.html?amp;amp;amp;amp;c=895989)
Thanks.
Ted Leibowitz, BAGeL Radio
CMJ Specialty Music Director of the Year
SF Bay Guardian Best DJs of the Bay
The Copyright Royalty board is substantially raising the fees paid by internet radio stations, which will wipe out almost every independant online radio station overnight, along with lots of cool site, such as Pandora.
Below is copy and pasted text from BAGeL Radio's Ted Leibowitz where you can find more info, but if you don't feel like reading it all, here's how you can help:
Sign the petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/SIR2007r/petition.html)
Ask your Congressperson (http://www.eff.org/congress/)
Read more about the issue here (http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/archives/internet-radio-copyright-royalty-board-releases-decision-rates-are-going-up-significantly.html?amp;amp;amp;amp;c=895989)
And, the link to the original post.- HERE (http://bagelradio.com/blog/2007/03/its-hollywood-vs-vcr-all-over-again.html#links)
Thank you for your time.
Legal internet broadcasters presently pay sizeable annual fees to ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and SoundExchange. The fee structure already in place makes it so difficult to stay afloat that last year even WOXY.com, one of the most popular and most respected internet radio stations ever, was forced into financial ruin and had to cease operations (until being bailed out by the kind folks at LaLa.com).
The Copyright Royalty Board just substantially increased the fees internet radio sites must pay to record labels -- fees not paid by traditional radio stations -- a move that will kill off every last independent online radio station and websites like Pandora. Once these new rates kick in the wealth of programming available during what will be remembered as the Golden Age of Internet Radio will disappear almost overnight. All that will remain will be the stations and sites funded by the biggest of the big money corporations. You know, the nice folks who currently filter out all of the good music and play the same 40 songs by major label artists over and over again.
SoundExchange, arguing for the rate increase, says that internet radio provides no promotional benefit to arists. SoundExchange is made up of record label executives.
If internet radio provides no promotional benefit to artists, why do record labels, radio promo companies (hired by record labels), and bands send 30-50 CDs a week for airplay consideration on BAGeL Radio?
One industry hand clearly doesn't know what the other is doing, and despite this obvious inconsistency, a government entity called the Copyright Royalty Board adopted the rates and payment structure recommended by SoundExchange...almost to the letter.
Some of you will remember that industry has tried to kill/regulate new technology in the past: the music industry freaked out about CD-burning computers in the 1990s, the film & television industries freaked out about VCRs in the 1980s, the music industry freaked out about cassette recording in the 1970s...well, here we go again, only this time the medium is so new and far-reaching, the industry remains Mr. Magoo-like in it's inability to see the big picture, and the government is so comfortably seated deep in the warm, lush pockets of big business, that the music industry is getting it's short-sighted, ultimately self-defeating way.
Independent internet radio will die if this decision is not reversed.
Please ask your Congressperson (http://www.eff.org/congress/) to reverse the misguided decision of the Copyright Royalty Board. Tell them that internet radio is how you find out about new music. Tell them that when you hear music on internet radio you sometimes click over to the iTunes Music Store or Amazon or wherever to buy it (and while you are at it tell them the last time you did that thanks to hearing something on traditional radio). Tell them that if adopted, the Copyright Royalty Board rates will kill off webcasting -- the most vital and interesting outlet for hearing new music available today. Tell them that the music industry is being very short-sighted and is effectively shooting itself in the head by crushing in its infancy this new, exciting and wide-reaching promotional outlet that it should be embracing.
Sign the petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/SIR2007r/petition.html).
Read more here. (http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/archives/internet-radio-copyright-royalty-board-releases-decision-rates-are-going-up-significantly.html?amp;amp;amp;amp;c=895989)
Thanks.
Ted Leibowitz, BAGeL Radio
CMJ Specialty Music Director of the Year
SF Bay Guardian Best DJs of the Bay