A Lost Opportunity For Radio
Local Radio Freedom Act Backers Ask To Join Royalties Discussion
November 4, 2009: Reps. Mike Conaway (R-TX) (pictured) and Gene Green (D-TX) have written to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), asking to participate in a discussion of the Performance Rights Act set for November 17. Invitations to talk about royalties were sent late last month to NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith and Joint Board Chair/Commonwealth Broadcasting President/CEO Steve Newberry, as well as to representatives of label-backed pro-royalties group MusicFirst.
Green and Conaway write, "We are the lead sponsors of H. Con. Res. 49, the 'Local Radio Freedom Act,' a resolution supported by more than 250 of our House colleagues that opposes any new financial burdens on local radio broadcasters. We have serious concerns that legislation imposing a new royalty on local radio stations, particularly in this economic climate, will be tremendously harmful to radio stations and their employees, local communities that rely on radio, and recipients, such as charities and nonprofits, that receive free airtime for their causes."
The lawmakers write that Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) -- a strong proponent of royalties -- will be included in the discussion, and say that, as the meeting has been opened to members who are not currently on the Judiciary Committee, "we are hopeful that you will consider further opening the meeting to other members of Congress, including ourselves, so that all sides in this Congressional debate may be represented."
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(11/7/2009 3:15:45 PM) Well, it had to come to this. Crooks are never satisfied until the kill the goose that laid the golden goblet. Local radio is kaput is this goes through. Say hello to Led Cobalt. The Zeppelin is going to crash and burn. |
| - Bing_Crosby_2009 |
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(11/5/2009 9:57:57 PM) I've been in radio for 30 years...and I still get free cd's from record companies on my desk everyday. Even while record companies are trying get radio to pay...they still need radio to get their products on the air. Remarkable. Record companies started giving away product to stations decades ago and radio helped build record companies from the ground up with the free promoting of their products. Idiots! |
| - Radio Rich |
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(11/5/2009 3:12:52 PM) Any more royalty fees will kill local radio. The people pushing for stations to pay such fees are obviously NOT broadcasters. Can they not see what damage has already been done to our industry in this economy? Stop these people now! |
| - Jack |
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