Save Internet Radio

Posted At : April 18, 2007 10:10 AM | Posted By : Christopher Wigginton
Related Categories: RIAA

The recent decision of the Copyright Royalty Board to reject the request to reconsider their internet royalty schedule they released in March will drive all but the largest internet radio stations out of business. The rates are so high, that sites using an ad based revenue module may find it impossible to continue. Even local radio stations that have an internet presence might have to start charging for a content stream.

Pandora (Letter Below) has started a campaign to save Internet Radio. If you value the large diversity available through Internet Radio, I urge you to visit the site below .

Hi, it's Tim from Pandora,

I'm writing today to ask for your help. The survival of Pandora and all of Internet radio is in jeopardy because of a recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, DC to almost triple the licensing fees for Internet radio sites like Pandora. The new royalty rates are irrationally high, more than four times what satellite radio pays and broadcast radio doesn't pay these at all. Left unchanged, these new royalties will kill every Internet radio site, including Pandora.

In response to these new and unfair fees, we have formed the SaveNetRadio Coalition, a group that includes listeners, artists, labels and webcasters. I hope that you will consider joining us.

Please sign our petition urging your Congressional representative to act to save Internet radio: capwiz.com

Please feel free to forward this link/email to your friends - the more petitioners we can get, the better.

Understand that we are fully supportive of paying royalties to the artists whose music we play, and have done so since our inception. As a former touring musician myself, I'm no stranger to the challenges facing working musicians. The issue we have with the recent ruling is that it puts the cost of streaming far out of the range of ANY webcaster's business potential.

I hope you'll take just a few minutes to sign our petition - it WILL make a difference. As a young industry, we do not have the lobbying power of the RIAA. You, our listeners, are by far our biggest and most influential allies.

As always, and now more than ever, thank you for your support.