Important news on internet radio, Everyone please read and take action

[scottish2]

Hi Gang.

Please read fully as we have sort of a crisis coming at us in the form of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Many of you may remember this group from news on Napster the music file sharing program and they dealt a serious death blow to Napster by forcing them to have a subscription service instead of free like it was at first. Well last night I was chatting with Paul and he mentioned that now this group (RIAA) has turned it's claws on the Internet Radio groups and trying to force us to have to pay to listen to music. Here's an article I found on this issue on the web

http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSTechNews0202/22_radio-ap.html

We must not allow them to do this and if they do we must not allow them to kill songs or charge for songs that are beyond the RIAA's jurisdiction. For instance a lot of Paul's (Highlander Radio's) content comes from international groups not under RIAA jurisdiction or from independent bands who also do not fall under their jurisdiction and we need to let congress know they don't have a right to pass law effecting these types of groups because either one the group is international and not under the jurisdiction of the USA or two the band is independent and has made a wise choice to have their music played on line to help get more exposure that they might not get otherwise.

We must not let this happen! I urge you to write your Representatives and The President and tell them we do not want this. For the last 15-20 years the music industry has been over charging for CD's as mentioned on CNN Headline news a couple years back and needless to say even with all the controversy the prices have not dropped for CD's and the RIAA admitted they had been doing this. We need to tell this greedy group of people that we will not stand for their abuse by over charging their buyers then trying to take away the only alternative for a lot of people to listen to music even they (RIAA) may not provide.

I urge you to write your Congressmen & Women as well as The President here are their web addresses for you to find your Representatives and The President and let them know you are against this action

House: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Senate: http://www.senate.gov/

President: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

I also urge you to write to other internet radio stations and advise them of this. Feel free to use this post if you want so they have all the links. Tell them they have my permission to forward this on to other radio stations & people concerned on this issue. For once put aside the competition and band together so internet radio survives this latest attack and remains free. Here is one of Highland Radios main services

Live 365: http://www.live365.com/home/index.live

They have an index to other radio stations write as many or as few as you think. Maybe post a follow up message here saying which groups have been written so that we do not duplicate messages to groups.

I also urge you to write the RIAA directly and tell them if they continue with this action we will boycott all artists that fall under the RIAA jurisdiction. We will still buy international groups and independent groups but the very ones they are trying to protect we will boycott and not buy their songs. For us this should be fairly easy since we enjoy Celtic styles of music. Stress to them that they do not have control of independent bands or international bands and cannot stop stations from airing such or charge listeners from listening to these individuals/groups that do not fall under their jurisdiction.

RIAA: http://www.riaa.org/index.cfm

Also if you know any independent bands/singers please advise them of this as well so they know how this could effect them if the RIAA does manage to push this through.

Lets stand together on this and not let the RIAA kill the internet radio as they did Napster.

Thank you for reading this and feel free to share this with others so that we can put a stop to this. Also feel free to alter this as needed as I realize not everyone has the same type of radio station as Highlander Radio http://www.celticradio.net. Thank you again.  

P.S. feel free to post additional links in response to this that you think might be good for users to write to about this issue. I realize in a short post it is impossible to cover everyone.

[kylassie]

Well, it seems that everything on the Internet is beginning to cost money! Ecards that have been FREE for years now all charge monthly "subscription" prices. The games that my children have played on the Disney site are now charging $4.95 per month to subscribe to that site!  

I hate that the once free Internet is now going to the highest bidder. I can't imagine what my total cost to use my computer would  be if I had to pay a fee for each and every site that I visit, enjoy, and listen to!!! I could barely afford the equipment to access the Internet, now I am going to have to pay for the priveledge of surfing too?

Just me griping - ignore my rantings if you please! I am a very frugal person living on an extremely limited budget, so it alarms me to hear that I might not be able to listen to my favorite radio station! I can't afford to buy the CDs individually...
 

[scottish2]

Well Janet & Others.

First off forgive as I realize this is way off topic of celtic and may not even be of interest to certain foolks outside US Jurisdiction but I have to remind folks of this as way to many have forgotten this in their busy day to day lives.

Please remember what this country is founded on. We have rights and so many have forgotten these very important items. We (Myself included to some degree) have let our government run rampant far to long. Remember this is our country not the Governments they run it for us and we do have a voice and it's time we shouted not just talked. I know for a fact the government is at a point where they refuse to uphold the first amendment and other rights within the first amendment and I have proof of this from a recent hearing that was suppose to take place as granted under the first amendment but the government refused to do it's constitutional duty. Face it if we don't control the folks in DC who will?

So I urge you to exercise your rights because a right forgotten is eventually killed off by those who wish it to be. So I urge you to exercise your first amendment right to be able to use your voice towards government let them know we will not stand for corporations dictating how we should exercise our freedom with charging us left and right especially a greedy group like the RIAA.

That said won't (I hope) have to mention this again.

A couple last things before closing. For those with Children youngsters or even teens I urge you have them look at these documents they are the Declaration, THe US COnstitution and the Bill of Rights. Make sure they remember that these documents exist and that they should never be allowed to die otherwise all those who gave their life protecting these have died in vain. Here's a link which will get you to all 3 documents also including all 27 Amendments the first 10 plus additional 17

http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/charters.html

But make sure you children hold these documents and rights as cheerished as our forefathers did. I see them slowly slipping away because of folks who are so busy with their lifes they forget they exist and I fear one day they may not exist due to neglect.

Any ways enough political rant. Just had to get that off my chest. Any ways I hope you will suport all INternet radio stations including Highlander Radio and our rights to listen with9out having to pay a greedy group by writing your representatives and telling them we want them to tell the RIAA to go pound sand. They may be a strong group of lobbiests but if we all ban together we can be an even stronger voice!  

Sorry to Paul and all who weren't interested but felt it needed saying.

PS if anyone is interested in getting more involved in protecting our rights please feel free to contact me off forum. Can prove the claim I made earlier in this post about congress violating their constitutional duty. Have written proof in the form of congressional letters and news.

[CelticRadio]

Dave,

I just wanted to publicly acknowledge my appreciation for you posting this information. Unfortunately, I have had a number of issues with our hosting providers that have kept me away from providing proper updates. And I have been "out of it" with a terrible winter flu for the past week and a half! Now I am going to be even more unavailable as I abandon ship and head to Florida for the next two weeks.

Just a note to everyone readying this message. The very young internet broadcasting community might be stomped out by the RIAA. Basically, they want us to pay unrealistic royalty fees for every song we play. What is ironic is they may not even have rights to the song or an agreement, but they want the fees anyways.

This is contrary to a proposal by the music industry and internet broadcast community that want to pay a percentage of profits generated by the broadcast.

It is the feeling among many that this is just another attempt to control to the masses what you hear on the internet. In other words, they don't want you to have a selection of music, they want to be the sole providers and deliverers of music to your ears!

With that said, here is an online petition that is available concerning this matter:

On Line Petition against CARP.

Also, I want to say to everyone that regardless of whether this bill passes or not, Highlander Radio will continue. More than 50% of our music is provided by independent artists and musicians across the world, so the RIAA would have little ground to enforce their royalty fees on material that they do not even represent!

[scottish2]

No Problem Paul Glad I could help out on this important issue.

And not to worry we won't let the ship sink while you're away.

Enjoy your trip!  

[scottish2]

Not sure what the status of this issue is but thought I would remind everyone of it's existance and urge continued pressure> Even if we got it solved am sure it will contie because of the nature of the RIAA.

[Mel]

I can't believe they want us to pay for music on the Net. We don't pay for the one playing on the radio so why the broacaster community on the Net should?  Please take a moment to sign the petition. Let's help Paul and all the other to continue their great work!

[Cabbagehome]

I got a letter from my rep saying he will look into the matter. Hope this works.

[scottish2]

Hopefully your rep means it. I know I write my rep regularly on a few issues and when he says he'll look into it I can be assure he won't.