Ain't democracy great?

From FMQB:

New legislation was introduced today to the U.S. Senate, which could wipe out the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) decision on Internet radio royalty rates. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sam Brownback (R-KA) have introduced the Internet Radio Equality Act, which would vacate the CRB decision on increasing royalty fees. The bill would set a 2006-2010 royalty rate for webcasters at the same rate currently paid by satellite radio (7.5 percent of revenue). The bill also proposes a change in the rate setting standard used in royalty arbitration, to closer align Internet radio standards in negotiations with satellite radio. Also, the bill resets the royalty rules for noncommercial stations.

Sen. Wyden said in a statement, "Keeping Internet radio alive is part of a broader issue that is important to me -- keeping the e-commerce engine running by preventing discrimination against it."

"I am alarmed by the recent Copyright Royalty Board decision and the effect it will have on Internet radio -- especially small webcasters with limited revenue streams," Sen. Brownback added. "I am hopeful that with this bipartisan legislation Internet radio will continue to flourish."

Jake Ward, spokesperson for the SaveNetRadio campaign, commented on the bill, saying, "Since the CRB's ruling,
Internet radio listeners, webcasters and the artists they promote have joined together to urge Congress to prevent this vibrant industry from going silent on July 15. On behalf of Internet radio's 70 million monthly listeners, thousands of webcasters, and the incredible diversity of talented artists it supports, we commend Senators Wyden and Brownback for their understanding of Internet radio's importance and for their leadership in taking the steps needed to save it."

Looks like this bill will have no problem in jetting right through the halls of Congress and becoming law. Doesn't mean you shouldn't contact your senator and tell them exactly how passionate you are about Internet radio, now....

Congress to the rescue for Internet radio

And now we come to the zenith of my blogging career - two of my very favorite topics collide: politics and radio. Tell your senators and representatives that you support the Internet Radio Equality Act.

From FMQB:

Congress has gotten involved in the ongoing fight to raise royalty rates for Internet broadcasters. Congressmen Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Don Manzullo (R-IL) have introduced the Internet Radio Equality Act, in an attempt to stop the Copyright Royalty Board's decision to increase the rates. The legislation is said to "modernize" the copyright rules, putting royalties paid by public broadcasters of "sound recordings" under the same system as "musical works."

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, CRB!

Link via [FMQB]

Recording Industry trying to kill Internet radio again

From CNET News:

Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) had harsh words for a ruling released Tuesday by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board. It proposes raising the amount that commercial Internet radio services pay to record companies by 30 percent retroactively to 2006 and in each of the next three years through 2009. Each station would have to hand over a minimum $500 royalty payment.

"This represents a body blow to many nascent Internet radio broadcasters and further exacerbates the marketplace imbalance between what different industries pay," Markey said at a hearing here titled "The Future of Radio". The hearing was convened by the House panel on telecommunications and the Internet, of which Markey is chairman. "It makes little sense to me for the smallest players to pay proportionately the largest royalty fee."

What we have here is a move by the recording industry, prompted by the XM / Sirius merger proposal, to squash independent online broadcasters who dare to play by their own rules. The RIAA wants to place impossible spin tracking requirements and charge exorbitant fees for the rights to play music -- moves that are not designed to recoup money from these online broadcasters, but instead crafted to severely limit the playing field.

Under these rules, only internet broadcasters that can afford to pay the already-astronomical fees would be able to continue, and those that can't afford payments retroactive to 2006 find themselves in shit up to their necks. The $1.28-per-listener-per-hour rule being proposed here could completely shut down the internet operations of little guys like WCUR and WPRB, and even severely hamper the efforts of some bigger players like KEXP and Y-Rock on XPN.

To take WCUR for example, assume a rather meager 20 listener hours a day for 275 days out of the year (June, July, and August are typically pretty dead) -- that's $7,000 on top of the initial $500 fee. Seven grand is a solid one-third of that station's budget, and could probably force their hand to either turn off their internet simulcast or to (gasp!) start advertising on their online stream to make up for their lost revenue. And, if the station's listener base grows, the problem grows in proportion as well: if WCUR ever gets so popular as to have just 50 listener hours a day, these fees will suck them completely dry.

Of course, we're using the WCUR example because it's the one we're intimately familiar with -- but we know the world probably won't miss it when another shitty college station that plays pro wrestling entrance music as the majority of it's format gets canned. The stations that truly care about the music enough to dedicate their time and effort to providing quality alternatives to the homogenized muck that's out there now will certainly all perish. This bill has the power to single-handedly destroy the most promising radio medium since FM went mainstream -- and the best way to stop it, it would seem, would be to contact the guy we already know is on our side, Rep. Ed Markey, and voice your support for his actions against this crap.

Link via [CNET & Open Congress]

Okay, now THIS is what the internet is for

http://www.opencongress.org/

Oh, it's glorious. Go check it out.

Give 'em hell, Nancy

First female Speaker of the House.

Two heartbeats away from the Presidency.

Most Powerful Woman In America.

Let the 100 Hours commence!