Help Keep Internet Radio Online
Whats Happening
On Friday March 2nd 2007, the Copyright Royalty Board announced new
royalty rates for Internet Radio stations. The rates are retroactive to
January of 2006.
The new rates are far higher than any industry experts expected. In
fact, if they remain unchanged, bankruptcy looms for many online radio
stations.
The new rates essentially levy a tax of $0.0011 per performance. Now,
that doesn't sound bad does it. But consider this. Each hour, the
average radio station plays 16 songs. So that's about 1.76c per hour,
per listener. A station with 500 listener average would be hit with fees
of $211 per day, $6,336 a month or $76,000 a year.
This amount of money is beyond the resources of all but the very
wealthiest of corporations. Many of the internet radio stations are run
by enthusiasts and hobbyists. These small stations are the ones bringing
new music, and old favorites to you every day. Music you can't hear on
corporate-owned terrestrial stations.
Could this be the day the music died?
What can you do
If you enjoy internet radio, you need to make your feelings known right
now to your representatives in the Congress and Senate. Write to them
and ask them to help repeal the decision of March 2nd by the Copyright
Royalty Board. It only takes a couple of minutes.
Congress: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
More background on this decision
http://www.digmedia.org/docs/Press%20Release%2010-31-05.pdf
http://www.digmedia.org/docs/CRB%20Arbitration%20FAQ.pdf
http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/030207/index.shtml
Broadcastlawblog http://www.savenetradio.org/archive.htm
Broadcasters Go Here and join the cause http://webcastersunite.net
Whats Happening
On Friday March 2nd 2007, the Copyright Royalty Board announced new
royalty rates for Internet Radio stations. The rates are retroactive to
January of 2006.
The new rates are far higher than any industry experts expected. In
fact, if they remain unchanged, bankruptcy looms for many online radio
stations.
The new rates essentially levy a tax of $0.0011 per performance. Now,
that doesn't sound bad does it. But consider this. Each hour, the
average radio station plays 16 songs. So that's about 1.76c per hour,
per listener. A station with 500 listener average would be hit with fees
of $211 per day, $6,336 a month or $76,000 a year.
This amount of money is beyond the resources of all but the very
wealthiest of corporations. Many of the internet radio stations are run
by enthusiasts and hobbyists. These small stations are the ones bringing
new music, and old favorites to you every day. Music you can't hear on
corporate-owned terrestrial stations.
Could this be the day the music died?
What can you do
If you enjoy internet radio, you need to make your feelings known right
now to your representatives in the Congress and Senate. Write to them
and ask them to help repeal the decision of March 2nd by the Copyright
Royalty Board. It only takes a couple of minutes.
Congress: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
More background on this decision
http://www.digmedia.org/docs/Press%20Release%2010-31-05.pdf
http://www.digmedia.org/docs/CRB%20Arbitration%20FAQ.pdf
http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/030207/index.shtml
Broadcastlawblog http://www.savenetradio.org/archive.htm
Broadcasters Go Here and join the cause http://webcastersunite.net
Mensajes Sun 04 Mar 07 @ 7:04 pm
funkturnal
You know this SUCKS! My belief is the man is trying to shut internet radio down because this is where the future really is! Wireless wifi is becoming more & more widely available.
Wifi car radio is the future! NOT hd radio not sirrius/xm. Imagine being in your car able to listen to one of the million internet radio stations available. Now thats a selection!
But once again this freedom will be taken away & only big wigs will be available to have access to it. Then it will get corperate out (thank you clear channel for crap radio)
Its just the world we live in.
Wifi car radio is the future! NOT hd radio not sirrius/xm. Imagine being in your car able to listen to one of the million internet radio stations available. Now thats a selection!
But once again this freedom will be taken away & only big wigs will be available to have access to it. Then it will get corperate out (thank you clear channel for crap radio)
Its just the world we live in.
Mensajes Sun 04 Mar 07 @ 8:09 pm
sbangs
GRRR il have em =D
Mensajes Sun 04 Mar 07 @ 8:36 pm
DJ Marcel_1
Which country does this rolaty group preside over?
cause it sure as hell ain't Canada
Our lame brained idiots go by the name of C.R.T.C.
cause it sure as hell ain't Canada
Our lame brained idiots go by the name of C.R.T.C.
Mensajes Sun 04 Mar 07 @ 8:43 pm
ConQuest
funkturnal wrote :
You know this SUCKS! My belief is the man is trying to shut internet radio down because this is where the future really is! ... Then it will get corperate out (thank you clear channel for crap radio)
This REALLY does suck, and for the record: "I FRICKIN HATE CLEAR CHANNEL and Radio One!!!"
I've hated them since I worked for Baka Boys http://www.thebakaboyz.com/bakaboyz.php at Power106 here in Los Angeles back in '98, and then I got got my distaste for Radio One in '99 after they took over 92.3 (later 100.3 and now V100) "The Beat" here in LA and said that they weren't going to make any drastic changes.
The Friday before the Monday that they took over, I went to the station with my crew partner Ice who was doing the 12-1pm Old School mix for LaLa http://www.mtv.com/onair/meet_the_vjs/vjs.jhtml?vj=La%20La and when we got into the turntablist booth a little before 12, she called into the booth via the intercom to let us know that they had just fired the legendary Dr. Dre and Ed Lover http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo!_MTV_Raps immediately after they got off the air at 10am (they had the 6-10am slot) and that Radio One execs had already called The Baka Boys (who had since moved from Power106 to The Beat) and fired them from their 2-7pm slot.
Sway from MTV and the world famous Wake Up Show http://www.wakeupshow.com/ which was still on at that station in the late night hours ended up having to come in at 2pm in the afternoon to cover the Baka Boyz slot and I'll never forget when he turned to me and Ice once we were all in the studio booth after Ice's mix and said, "WTF is THIS?!" holding Master P's "Make 'Em Say Uh" cartridge that was the first song that we had been directed to play. Sway is HARDCORE underground hip-hop and didn't know most of the Top40 songs that they had told him to play.
Immediately after that is when my personal radio personality idol and original Los Angeles KDAY mixmaster from the mid 80's "Julio G" http://www.935kday.com/on-air/index.php?id=2 who also gave Ice his break into radio back in '96 at The Beat told us that he had enough of this radio industry BS, particularly in regards to Clear Channel and Radio One, and that he was going to bring back the original KDAY to go up against Clear Channel and Radio One owned stations here in the Los Angeles area, which he did within a few years of having said that, and is owned by Magic Broadcasting http://magicbroadcasting.net/.
I joined the fight against Clear Channel and Radio One as well by heading up an internet radio station as can be seen on my MySpace profile www.MySpace.com/FRodriguez719 which is severely outdated by over a year because I walked out on XRadio on January 16th because the CEO (NOT the owner because that was his grandmother) had his head up his a$$ and I could already see that he was gonna use me and the talented staff I had developed in less than 3 months as I said I would, in order to finance his own side ventures.
THAT is when I told my staff that I wanted to bring us all back in about a year (running a couple of months late) but with our own internet radio station so that we wouldn't have to deal with any untrustworthy people. The coincidence in all this is that I'm going looking for a location this week for us to use as a broadcast facility and music studio to bring back my XFactoR internet radio station and staff.
DAMNIT!
Please help keep the power of broadcast capability and choice in the hands of the people and not limit it to unfair and unethical corporate conglomerates.
- VT ConQuest
(Visual Turntablist)
Mensajes Sun 04 Mar 07 @ 9:27 pm
ConQuest
skyfxl wrote :
GRRR il have em =D
Sky, were gonna need you to hack DiMA for us.
Hit Clear Channel and Radio One while you're at it.
DJ Marcel_1 wrote :
Which country does this rolaty group preside over?
U.S.
Hence the links to our Congress and Senate.
Mensajes Sun 04 Mar 07 @ 9:31 pm
sbangs
lol il look into it ;)
Mensajes Sun 04 Mar 07 @ 10:25 pm
DJ Turbo
i heard about this!
does it effect VDJ Radio in any way? THATS what i care about.
if so.....
OFF WITH THIER GODDAMN HEADS!!! AARRGGGHHH
does it effect VDJ Radio in any way? THATS what i care about.
if so.....
OFF WITH THIER GODDAMN HEADS!!! AARRGGGHHH
Mensajes Thu 10 May 07 @ 1:36 am
Tear Em 'Up
ConQuest wrote :
Sky, were gonna need you to hack DiMA for us.
Hit Clear Channel and Radio One while you're at it.
U.S.
Hence the links to our Congress and Senate.
skyfxl wrote :
GRRR il have em =D
Sky, were gonna need you to hack DiMA for us.
Hit Clear Channel and Radio One while you're at it.
DJ Marcel_1 wrote :
Which country does this rolaty group preside over?
U.S.
Hence the links to our Congress and Senate.
OK but, VDJR is "broadcast" from a server in Europe if I am not mistaken. How can the US Federal govement attempt to tax a company overseas (I know like the govarment ever needs an excuse to try and get their slice of the pie)?? I know this is a little bigger than that so forgive me for being "selfish". So will this affect us??? I have said it before on this forum and I will say it again, cling to your freedoms as if they were your last breath of air before drowning!
Mensajes Thu 10 May 07 @ 2:26 am
sbangs
wont affect us ;)
Mensajes Thu 10 May 07 @ 9:54 am
DJ-ALF
The laws of earth does not affect our radio :)) LOL
Mensajes Thu 10 May 07 @ 1:38 pm
DJ Yogi
Another example of big music's greed.
Mensajes Thu 10 May 07 @ 11:03 pm
DJ Turbo
YAY! i would most probably cry if they took VDJ radio.
but i think www.di.fm is gunna either hit the dirt or have no public streams anymore... im upset about that because it is a very good station too.
as i said before, as long as VDJ radio is safe i will live. :)
but i think www.di.fm is gunna either hit the dirt or have no public streams anymore... im upset about that because it is a very good station too.
as i said before, as long as VDJ radio is safe i will live. :)
Mensajes Fri 11 May 07 @ 6:14 am
doolow
U.S. Senate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Melissa Merz, (202) 224-1170 (Wyden)
Becky Ogilvie (202) 228-3107 (Brownback)
May 10, 2007
Wyden, Brownback Propose Bill to Keep
Internet Radio in Play
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) today proposed legislation to keep Internet radio alive by vacating a Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) decision that could increase Internet radio sound recording royalties by 300 percent to 1,200 percent.
According to an Arbitron and Edison Media Research, 52 million people listened to Internet radio at least once a month in 2006. Bridge Ratings and Research predicts that number will double within three years and reach nearly 200 million by 2020.
July 15, when collection begins on the new royalty fees, literally will be the day the music died. Most Internet radio Webcasters will be driven out of business because of a massive retroactive royalty rate that is above total revenues for most in the business.
For large Webcasters, the royalty increase could be between 40 percent and 70 percent of revenues.
For small Webcasters the royalty increase could reach up to 1,200 percent of revenues.
Currently, terrestrial radio stations only pay royalties to songwriters. Internet radio and
satellite radio pay royalties to both songwriters and record companies/recording artists. However
satellite radio only pays royalties of 7.5 percent of their revenue. The Internet Radio Equality
Act of 2007 corrects the enormous disparity created by the CRB by putting Internet radio on par with satellite radio. Additionally, the legislation would create special royalty rules for the Webcasting arms of non-commercial broadcasters like National Public Radio and college radio
to ensure they are not left out of reaching new listeners on the Internet.
“Our bill is about standing up for folks ranging from a small Webcaster in a basement in Corvallis to an innovative startup in Beaverton to a new band trying to be heard in Portland to a huge music fan in Coos Bay” Wyden said. “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. I am hopeful that with this bipartisan legislation Internet radio will continue to flourish,” said Brownback, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Jefferson Public Radio joins with all our public radio colleagues in thanking Senators Wyden and Brownback for introducing legislation that will permit us to continue to serve Weblisteners all across America,” said Ronald Kramer, Executive Director of Jefferson Public Radio in Ashland, Oregon. “The public service mission of public radio Webcasters enables programming diversity not available elsewhere. Without passage of Senators Wyden’s and Brownback’s legislation, the decision of the Copyright Royalty Board will dramatically curtail the Webcast programming diversity we wish to continue providing.”
The legislation also will undo the prohibitive $500 per channel minimum royalty fee set by the CRB. Wyden and Brownback noted that Internet radio is not limited by the number of “channels” available, as traditional radio is. Thus, while regular radio stations play a very limited number of mostly popular songs that have a mass audience, Internet radio – not confined by spectrum capacity – gives any artist or consumer the ability to have their own channel. This allows independent artists to have a medium to reach new and old fans and allows consumers to customize their own radio stations to their liking.
Wyden’s and Brownback’s bill will be the Senate companion to H.R. 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act, introduced April 23 by U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo(R-IL).
“This Titanic rate increase will sink many Webcasters if we don’t act,” said Inslee, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. “We need a more balanced rate structure that allows Internet radio to thrive, promotes media diversity and rewards artists for the use of their intellectual property.”
“I applaud Senators Wyden and Brownback for taking leadership of this important legislation in the Senate so we can overturn these unfair royalty rates that threaten to bankrupt our small Webcasters and silence the music on the Internet,” Manzullo said.
“Since we introduced our legislation in the House two weeks ago, I have been inundated with messages from Internet radio listeners throughout the country thanking me for protecting this wonderful medium. This issue has ignited a flurry of passion from music lovers throughout our country, and I again thank Senators Wyden and Brownback for
their efforts to help keep the music playing on the Internet.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Melissa Merz, (202) 224-1170 (Wyden)
Becky Ogilvie (202) 228-3107 (Brownback)
May 10, 2007
Wyden, Brownback Propose Bill to Keep
Internet Radio in Play
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) today proposed legislation to keep Internet radio alive by vacating a Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) decision that could increase Internet radio sound recording royalties by 300 percent to 1,200 percent.
According to an Arbitron and Edison Media Research, 52 million people listened to Internet radio at least once a month in 2006. Bridge Ratings and Research predicts that number will double within three years and reach nearly 200 million by 2020.
July 15, when collection begins on the new royalty fees, literally will be the day the music died. Most Internet radio Webcasters will be driven out of business because of a massive retroactive royalty rate that is above total revenues for most in the business.
For large Webcasters, the royalty increase could be between 40 percent and 70 percent of revenues.
For small Webcasters the royalty increase could reach up to 1,200 percent of revenues.
Currently, terrestrial radio stations only pay royalties to songwriters. Internet radio and
satellite radio pay royalties to both songwriters and record companies/recording artists. However
satellite radio only pays royalties of 7.5 percent of their revenue. The Internet Radio Equality
Act of 2007 corrects the enormous disparity created by the CRB by putting Internet radio on par with satellite radio. Additionally, the legislation would create special royalty rules for the Webcasting arms of non-commercial broadcasters like National Public Radio and college radio
to ensure they are not left out of reaching new listeners on the Internet.
“Our bill is about standing up for folks ranging from a small Webcaster in a basement in Corvallis to an innovative startup in Beaverton to a new band trying to be heard in Portland to a huge music fan in Coos Bay” Wyden said. “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. I am hopeful that with this bipartisan legislation Internet radio will continue to flourish,” said Brownback, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Jefferson Public Radio joins with all our public radio colleagues in thanking Senators Wyden and Brownback for introducing legislation that will permit us to continue to serve Weblisteners all across America,” said Ronald Kramer, Executive Director of Jefferson Public Radio in Ashland, Oregon. “The public service mission of public radio Webcasters enables programming diversity not available elsewhere. Without passage of Senators Wyden’s and Brownback’s legislation, the decision of the Copyright Royalty Board will dramatically curtail the Webcast programming diversity we wish to continue providing.”
The legislation also will undo the prohibitive $500 per channel minimum royalty fee set by the CRB. Wyden and Brownback noted that Internet radio is not limited by the number of “channels” available, as traditional radio is. Thus, while regular radio stations play a very limited number of mostly popular songs that have a mass audience, Internet radio – not confined by spectrum capacity – gives any artist or consumer the ability to have their own channel. This allows independent artists to have a medium to reach new and old fans and allows consumers to customize their own radio stations to their liking.
Wyden’s and Brownback’s bill will be the Senate companion to H.R. 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act, introduced April 23 by U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo(R-IL).
“This Titanic rate increase will sink many Webcasters if we don’t act,” said Inslee, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. “We need a more balanced rate structure that allows Internet radio to thrive, promotes media diversity and rewards artists for the use of their intellectual property.”
“I applaud Senators Wyden and Brownback for taking leadership of this important legislation in the Senate so we can overturn these unfair royalty rates that threaten to bankrupt our small Webcasters and silence the music on the Internet,” Manzullo said.
“Since we introduced our legislation in the House two weeks ago, I have been inundated with messages from Internet radio listeners throughout the country thanking me for protecting this wonderful medium. This issue has ignited a flurry of passion from music lovers throughout our country, and I again thank Senators Wyden and Brownback for
their efforts to help keep the music playing on the Internet.”
Mensajes Fri 11 May 07 @ 6:34 pm