Well, time is running out. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. To call attention to our plight, tomorrow, June 26, 2007, will be a day of silence for internet radio.
The Copyright Royalty Board in conjunction with Sound Exchange, the RIAA and the major music labels have all but colluded to put internet radio out of business by setting completely stupid royalty rates that result in more money due to Sound Exchange than most internet radio businesses gross. They are content to ruin businesses and livelihoods and, not to mention, put many, many folks out of a job for their own self serving greed. If the culprits have their way independent artists, artists with smaller audiences and many genres, like classic jazz, will lose a valuable outlet for their music. Internet radio currently pays royalties to artists and their record labels. Over the air radio does not and satellite radio pays a much smaller rate that does internet radio. So artists not only stand to lose airplay but income.
Internet radio will become an outlet for the latest thing from the major music labels. They won't pay the artists any royalties for the airplay, they'll just try to sell music product that will line their pockets. Ask any major label artist how much money their record company pays them for music sales. Roger McGuinn once told me he has never made a penny from sales of his Columbia label recordings with The Byrds... think about that!
On July 15, 2007 internet radio may very well cease to exist. There is legislation in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives that would enable internet radio to continue to bring the world an assortment of music genres that is unparalleled. A hearing is scheduled in the House but time is running out. The bills have been languishing for over two months. The only way the legislation is going to get legs is for the listening audience to rise up and be heard. If you do not want the major labels controlling the internet's music content please contact the House and Senate and tell them to get the Internet Radio Equality Act onto the President's desk for signature.
Please visit Live365 and SaveNetRadio.org for information how you can help.
N. Mark Lam, the CEO of Live365, has said that if the proposed royalty rates are allowed to go into effect that will be the end of Live365, an internet radio service of 10,000 stations. As Bop City is a proud part of the Live365 community, we too will cease to exist.
