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Celtic Radio Community > Celtic Radio > Save Net Radio Coalition


Posted by: Macfive 05-Mar-2007, 07:17 PM
Dear Friends, Members and Listeners:

During the nearly 5 years that I have had the pleasure of building and running Celtic Radio I never thought that everything that we have worked so hard to create could be lost in a single moment.

Yet that moment came last Friday when the http://www.loc.gov/crb/ announced new rates for Internet Radio Stations. Friends, if these rates go into effect it will basically kill off ALL independent and even big name internet radio sites like Live365.

The RIAA has managed to have our own government's Copyright arm rubber stamp their own agenda which is an assault on all American people by their own legal system. Thousands of independent stations like Celtic Radio will be wiped off the scene and a new age of Corporate only radio sites will replace the community and creativiness that you have all come to know and love.

The purpose of the new rates is to Kill off all independent radio stations in the U.S. and replace it with one big spam machine run by the RIAA. There will be no sites such as Celtic Radio where a person can find the comfort of good friendship, good music and a bit of sanity from this often cruel world.

I am now asking that everyone please help us save this site and the many thousands others like it by contacting your congress and senate. This needs to be done ASAP because we only have 30 days to get this overturned. Please tell all of your family and friends, business associates, teachers, church families. Copy and paste this message in an email and ask them to help.

Please visit this site for more information and links to write to congress and the senate.

http://www.savenetradio.org/

We will not go down without a good fight!

Ideas, Suggestions and thoughts are appreciated.

UPDATE

We will update this section as new links and resources become available. The following links are very important and you can help Internet Radio by visiting these links which include information, petitions and more:

http://www.savethestreams.org/

http://www.saveourinternetradio.com/

http://www.petitiononline.com/SIR2007r/petition.html

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveinternetradio/


http://capwiz.com/congressorg/sbx/f/?aid=9461656&r=1

Follow up with a phone call: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

Example Text to use for Congress and Senate:

QUOTE

As your constituent and a fan of Internet radio, I was alarmed to learn that music royalty rates were recently determined by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) which, if enacted, would certainly silence most or all of my favorite online listening services. For most webcasters, this royalty rate represents more than 100% of their total revenues!

The shuttering of the webcasting industry would be a loss for not only independent business owners, but also for musical artists, for copyright owners, and for listeners like me who enjoy the wide variety of choices available via Internet radio.

I respectfully request that your office look into this matter and initiate action to prevent it. As the CRB rate decision is retroactive to January 1, 2006, please understand that time is of the essence -- as the immediate impact of this decision could silence many Internet radio stations forever.

Posted by: stevenpd 05-Mar-2007, 07:52 PM
UNBELIEVEABLE!

Posted by: itsmewendylee 05-Mar-2007, 08:06 PM
Podcasters like myself will be next, no doubt. I limit myself to mainly independent artists who still own their own music and grant me individual permissions to play their music for no profit, which will give me a loophole in this specific action. But the fat cats of the RIAA will not be satisfied to stop at internet radio.

College radio stations who archived their shows on the net have already been forced to take their archives down. Now they are after internet radio. Podcasters will be next. It's insane. How can this happen in a democratic, free-market society?

I will pass along the info to everyone I know. WRITE IN, DEAR FRIENDS AND LISTENERS, WRITE IN!

Wendy

Posted by: Aaediwen 05-Mar-2007, 08:42 PM
I am sending the following mail to several of my friends:

A public service announcement from a friend. The corporate suits are at it again. It is not enough that they curtail your rights of fair use by locking your CDs and your computer files to self destruct like a audio tape from Mission Impossible. NO! They want to stamp out all competition! By eliminating Internet radio and thereby the venues where thousands of otherwise unknown independent artists get heard. This is not the first time that Internet Radio has been threatened. And every time, hundreds of wonderful stations are wiped off the Internet. Just because they play what people want to hear. Unless you want Internet radio to be controlled by Clear Channel, and every Internet radio station be be like MTV ("I remember when you could actually hear good music on the Internet."), then please. Help to take a stand.

If the corporate suits can do this to Internet Radio, you can bet that popular sites such as Myspace and Youtube where so many hang out, will go the way of the Dodo as well. If this is allowed, then before long there will be no place where anyone who has not signed their rights away in blood can legally be heard.


http://www.savenetradio.org/


my friends, now to be fair I have not had a chance yet to peruse the documentation on this issue in detail. One thing I did catch in it though is that supposedly noone will say just how much (or how little) the terrestrial stations pay in royalties. Makes me suspicious right there. That there is nothing to compare these numbers too. Also, someone want to tell me how THEY could be expected to pay like this?? Per listener per song played?? Unless there is some way that an AM or FM station can know how many people are tuned in at any time considering any device with a coil of wire can pick up their signal.

Posted by: Lady of the Loch 05-Mar-2007, 08:53 PM
Sending this out to everyone I know ASAP!

Posted by: Sekhmet 05-Mar-2007, 09:18 PM
Good gods, here we go again. Spamming my friends as we speak...

Posted by: Macfive 05-Mar-2007, 09:23 PM
Well, I wrote to my congressman and both senators Kennedy and Kerry. Basically, if the RIAA has its way then small to medium webcasters would pay 125% of the their revenue. So, you would have to pay more than you actually make to cover their fees!

This is just not about Celtic Radio, but thousands of other sites like Celtic Radio. Radio Paradise is another site that you can visit for more information http://www.radioparadise.com. Its run by a husband / wife team.

And its not just about internet radio, if an entity such as the RIAA can basically buy their way into congress and the copyright board, then what else is possible?

3 Years ago this happened, and a big push happened that got congress involved. I'd say that we have an even bigger voice now with more listeners and broadcasters. If everyone writes and calls their congress and senate we can make a difference and support all of the great musical groups out there the the RIAA wants to suck dry.

But beyond this issue, it just seems that corporations are getting bigger, stronger and controlling more and more of America. What are we going to do someday when there is little choice left and all of the good jobs have been outsourced over seas to cheap labor? What will be left for our kids?

There is an underlying theme to this all and it is about big business and big corporations. Just keep on stepping on us and you will be sorry you woke up a generation that has the power to change your strangle hold on America. It can happen!

Posted by: haynes9 05-Mar-2007, 09:26 PM
We're with you, Paul! I will get this to everyone on my list!

Posted by: Sekhmet 05-Mar-2007, 09:42 PM
Took me ten minutes to figure out which "issue" (required choice if I wanted to send an email to my revered Senator) this fell under, so I picked things like "anti-trust" and "legislative changes" and hoped for the best.

Posted by: stevenpd 05-Mar-2007, 10:40 PM
Contacted my representatives and the Copyright Royalty Board. Will press on other fronts as well.

Posted by: itsmewendylee 06-Mar-2007, 07:08 AM
Great Public Service Announcements to be inserted into the broadcast schedule of small internet radio stations. Trying to figure which might work best in my show!

http://webcastersunite.net/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=2

W

Posted by: John Clements 06-Mar-2007, 07:49 AM
Hi Mcfive,

I have sent the following letter to my senators here in NJ. If it sounds treating, that’s because I meant it to be. The time to stop talking, and to start take acting is right around the corner.

Save Internet Radio,

This increase in royalty fees being levied on Internet Radio is just more extortion being perpetrated by the international corporations. To allow this increase to happen simply means that you are my enemy. So don’t expect to get my vote ever again. Not that I trusted the vote to begin with. The battle for freedom is not in Iraq, or any place else in the world. It’s right here and now. So go a head and allow internet radio to be extorted, and well see what happens.

John Clements

PS: My issue choice was… CRIME

Posted by: sisterknight 06-Mar-2007, 08:06 AM
this so sucks...i'm letting all my extended family in the us now about this....i'm hoping my cuz with nasa might help, keep your fingers crossed, when she gets going there is no stopping her!!

Posted by: Rindy 06-Mar-2007, 10:50 AM
This is terrible news. I will pass the news around.

Slainte smile.gif

Posted by: valpal 59 06-Mar-2007, 11:42 AM
Just sent an email to our representative. Hope he will listen.

Posted by: Lady Jeanetta 06-Mar-2007, 12:02 PM
Sent an email to my congressman and informed my friends and family of this injustice... If enough of us take action, we will have an impact on these criminals. walkman.gif


Posted by: blackcloud1129 06-Mar-2007, 12:08 PM
I contacted my Rep. Lets hope this works

Posted by: stoirmeil 06-Mar-2007, 12:16 PM
Everyone seems to be placing the emphasis on free-market vs corporate monopoly. Don't you think there's an issue of controlling communications alternatives for political and security reasons too?

Posted by: Sekhmet 06-Mar-2007, 05:12 PM
Of course there is. But if those topics get mentioned, there's a tendency for those who are voted in to think we're associated or in sympathy with those guys who like to blow things up. But yer damned right it has something to do with control of media for those purposes as well.

Posted by: Macfive 06-Mar-2007, 05:40 PM
Please see my first message posted in this thread. I have added important links, online petitions and example text to use when writing or calling the congress and senate. You can forward these on to your friends, family and associates.

Thanks again for everyones support. We will be having some promos play on the broadcast soon that will get the message out.

The more people write and call the congress the better chance we have. This is really our only option. It is in the hands of congress at this point.


UPDATE

We will update this section as new links and resources become available. The following links are very important and you can help Internet Radio by visiting these links which include information, petitions and more:

http://www.savethestreams.org/

http://www.saveourinternetradio.com/

http://www.petitiononline.com/SIR2007r/petition.html

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveinternetradio/


http://capwiz.com/congressorg/sbx/f/?aid=9461656&r=1

Follow up with a phone call: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

Example Text to use for Congress and Senate:

QUOTE

As your constituent and a fan of Internet radio, I was alarmed to learn that music royalty rates were recently determined by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) which, if enacted, would certainly silence most or all of my favorite online listening services. For most webcasters, this royalty rate represents more than 100% of their total revenues!

The shuttering of the webcasting industry would be a loss for not only independent business owners, but also for musical artists, for copyright owners, and for listeners like me who enjoy the wide variety of choices available via Internet radio.

I respectfully request that your office look into this matter and initiate action to prevent it. As the CRB rate decision is retroactive to January 1, 2006, please understand that time is of the essence -- as the immediate impact of this decision could silence many Internet radio stations forever.

Posted by: rhatcher1313 06-Mar-2007, 06:01 PM
To Paul & all faithful members, & guests here. PLEASE take a few moments to click on the link, on first post. It will easily guide you to a direct link to your congressman. The only way to make anything happen,(AS IN NOT LOSING CELTIC RADIO), is if YOU send A STRONG message to your congressman, let them know, how outrageous this is. If you passively do nothing, most assurably, this legislation, if passed, will effectively kill THIS STATION ! So, please, go to link, read what's going on, then, it will guide you to your congressman.
Slainte,
rhatcher1313

Posted by: Macfive 06-Mar-2007, 06:56 PM
Thank you everyone for your support and guidance during this time.

I have been reading that a follow up call to your congressman's office makes an even bigger impression, so I plan on doing that too.

Highlander Radio will start to play informational plugs on how to Save Internet Radio. We are going to have these played every 2 hours. I know they are distracting, but it is something we have to do.

I'd also like to thank StevenPD for leaving a message on the call-in line with some great information. As always, thank you Steven!


Posted by: stevenpd 06-Mar-2007, 09:02 PM
FREEDOM!

Posted by: haynes9 06-Mar-2007, 09:32 PM
Sent an email to both Senators and my Rep. Followed up today with phone calls to all three offices. Will give it the rest of this week and then make a follow up call Monday. We HAVE to keep the pressure on!

Folks, if you love Highlander Radio, do your best! Call, write, email. Time is limited so we must do what we can now!

Thanks Paul and Steven for leading the charge.

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 06-Mar-2007, 10:12 PM
Signed the petition, sent a copy of your first posting, along with some comments to my entire email address book. I will also post it on a couple of ren sites as they tend to be very vocal on issues where freedom of choice is inhibited. (especially the wenches). I live in a town where we have nothing but two corporate radio stations playing the same recycled top 40 garbage day after day. We can actually set our clocks to certain songs. Trust me they will drive you insane after the first couple days. We found the Sirius and XM do the same thing same songs just about every day except no commercials.

Please dear God in heaven do not let this pass. Otherwise I will have to leave the country.

Posted by: stevenpd 06-Mar-2007, 11:19 PM
Here's a tidbit I found over at Live365:

QUOTE
The CRB is an office of the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James H. Billington overseas the daily functions of the Library as well as offices under his. He phased out the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel system and replaced it with the Copyright Royalty Board made up of three copyright royalty judges as opposed to Arbitrators. The members of the new board are all former attorneys turned judges, James Sledge (D), Stanley Wisniewski (D), and William Roberts (D) are all appointed to their posts and effectively replaced the Arbitration system. This took place without voter referendum and with full support of the new Congress.


One more name to the list to contact.

Here's the http://www.copyright.gov/help/general-form.html

Posted by: gcw57 07-Mar-2007, 12:59 AM
censored.gif Who says money can't buy government? What a total crock of hooey! Would the IRS agree to pay you 125% of your tax refund? I don't think so.

I know a Canadian voice won't help much as I could only legally sign the first petition, the rest excluded all non-US residents. I will forward the information to my friends in the US of A! Keep up the good fight!

Posted by: Shadows 07-Mar-2007, 07:56 AM
Macfive,
I have used every means posted here as well as speaking directly with 2 of my Reps that are my neighbors!

I have been assured that this issue is being scrutinized closely by them and they will do what ever it takes to make it right.

Shadows

Posted by: sisterknight 07-Mar-2007, 08:18 AM
god forbid it goes through, but can higlander radio come to canada?or scotland?or ireland?or germany?...i mean CR also has international listeners as well....so your gouvernment is cutting off it's nose to spite it's collective face. it's too bad that all those petitions can't be signed by all listeners
sorry, it's just frustrating not really being able to get involved.. sad.gif

Posted by: valpal 59 07-Mar-2007, 09:43 AM
Sent emails to the Senators today.

Posted by: stevenpd 07-Mar-2007, 10:28 AM
QUOTE (sisterknight @ 07-Mar-2007, 06:18 AM)
god forbid it goes through, but can higlander radio come to canada?or scotland?or ireland?or germany?...i mean CR also has international listeners as well....so your gouvernment is cutting off it's nose to spite it's collective face. it's too bad that all those petitions can't be signed by all listeners
sorry, it's just frustrating not really being able to get involved.. sad.gif

Those optioins have / are being looked at by many webcasters as a possible solution. But they are not holding out much hope.

Oh but you can help! Spread the word to everyone you know. Write to the US Ambassador or Consulate in your country. Voice your opinion! Let them know that it is not just an "American" problem. Write to the record labels and the musicians themselves, let your voice be heard.

Posted by: stevenpd 07-Mar-2007, 12:13 PM
This article explains the situation quite nicely.

QUOTE
The End Of Internet Radio As We Know It
Copyright Protection Board Deals Fatal Blow to Ad-Free Internet Radio

By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.Com

March 5, 2007

It may be time to dust off the old FM radio that's been collecting dust the past few years.

The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has endorsed a plan by SoundExchange, the royalty-collections division of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), to retroactively raise the fees Internet radio broadcasters must pay to broadcast their music.

The royalty increases are so high that many Web-based radio stations will have to go out of business or dramatically increase advertising to cover the royalty fees.

"It's the end of Internet radio as we know it," one broadcaster fumed. "The RIAA wants to put us all out of business."

The CRB's new royalty structure begins at $.0008 per performance, retroactive to January of 2006. While that may not seem like a lot at first, the CRB decision defines "per performance" for Web radio as streaming one song to one listener.

Kurt Hanson, writing for his Radio And Internet Newsletter (RAIN), calculated that an average Web radio station that plays 16 songs per hour would owe 1.28 cents per listener per hour. And the more listeners per hour, the more royalty fees the station would have to pay, "in the ballpark of 100% or more of total revenues," according to Hanson.

The rates would continue to increase each year. In 2007, Web broacasters would owe $.0011, $.0014 in 2008, $.0018 in 2009, and $.0019 in 2010. Those royalty fees only cover the actual broadcast of the songs to listeners -- the station owners would also have to pay royalties to the performers as well.

The owners of SaveNetRadio.org claimed that a royalty fee of $.0011 would tally up to "about 1.76c per hour, per listener. A station with [an average of 500 listeners] 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," they said in a post on their site. "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."

The CRB announced its decision late Friday, ensuring that it would receive little attention from major media.

But it didn't escape the notice of blogs and bulletin boards, many of which were fuming over what they saw as the end of their ability to hear new music over the Web. Chris Gerard, who operated the Washington, D.C.-based BlueSpaceRadio.com, announced that he was shutting down his site not long after the decision was made public.

"Due to the dramatically increased costs involved, we will no longer be able to continue with Bluespace Radio," Gerard said. "We've put many hours of time and work, and quite a bit of money, into the music as well as the website, and its sad that it has to come to an end like this. However, it's been an enjoyable experience, we've learned a lot, and have had the chance to interact with some great music fans."

Gerard previously spoke to ConsumerAffairs.Com regarding the efforts of the RIAA to challenge satellite radio stations Sirius and XM Radio over issues such as copying of digital music and copy-protection technology for satellite music players. The two satellite radio companies have announced plans to merge into a single entity, a move the RIAA opposes.

Bill Goldsmith, co-owner and operator of Radio Paradise.com, urged his listeners in blog postings to spread the story and get attention from media outlets.

"Crippling an exciting, groundbreaking industry like Internet radio is certainly not in the best interests of the public, nor that of musical artists, and not even -- if history is any judge -- of the music industry itself," Goldsmith said in a posting on www.saveourinternetradio.com.

Simply to break even, many of the larger Internet radio stations would have to incorporate advertising much more heavily into their formats -- the very thing that has caused traditional-radio listeners to flee in droves. Writing for Advertising Age, marketing consultant Al Ries lamented the commercial-filled state of broadcast radio, calling it "radiADo."

"For every ad that radio stations used to run, it now seems like they run two. Radio, in my opinion, has become Radiado, an extra "ad" inserted at every possible point in the programming," Ries said. "Radio is a powerful medium with great selectivity at relatively low costs, but Radiado threatens the very existence of the medium. Too much is too much."

And yet, thanks to decisions like those made by the Copyright Review Board, radio crammed with advertising may be all that listeners have to look forward to.

Posted by: stevenpd 07-Mar-2007, 12:30 PM
Here's a little more light on their dirty little secret.

QUOTE
RIAA Pushes Through Internet Radio Royalty Rates Designed To Kill Webcasts
from the broadcasters-must-be-a-special-boys-club dept

It's been quite some time since we last heard about arguments between internet webcasters and SoundExchange (a group spun off from the RIAA to handle royalty collection). Back in the summer of 2003, there was even a lawsuit over the royalties being set, that were pretty clearly designed to put smaller, independent webcasters out of business. From the RIAA's point of view, this is perfectly typical. They still view the world (especially the internet) as a broadcast medium. Therefore, they want at small number of "professional" content producers who create the content for everyone else. Then they can just sign a few ridiculously large licenses with those large players, and "the people" get to consume it. It's a fundamental misunderstanding of the internet as a communications medium -- a medium where people express themselves back and forth to each other, rather than a place we go sit back and "consume." While the fight had gotten quiet lately, the good old RIAA was hard at work making sure that things were happening in the background. A bunch of folks submitted stories this weekend noting that late Friday (http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/03/us_copyright_ro.html), the Copyright Royalty Board announced that it was adopting the http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/030207/index.shtml, and making them effective retroactively to the beginning of 2006 -- meaning that many small independent webcasters are now facing a tremendous royalty bill they're unlikely to be able to afford (thanks to everyone who sent this in).

That last link goes through the impact of all of this on various players -- and it's not pretty. The new rates pretty much decimate a large portion of the industry. And, it's only going to get worse, as the royalty rates increase at incredible rates ("2007's rate is a 37.5% increase over 2006; 2008 and 2009's annual increases are about 28% per year; and 2010 adds another 5.5% increase.") Of course, this is utterly backwards and damaging to the industry itself. A webcaster (especially the smaller, independent ones) is a great means of promotion for artists. It tends to attract more loyal and well-targeted audiences, who are more likely to want to later go out and buy a CD, a t-shirt or attend a concert. It lets the industry better promote material from a wider range of artists. However, in the industry's desperate need to charge for every single use, they're effectively killing off yet another wonderful promotional vehicle. The industry continues to think that it needs to do this because it wants to own all distribution and promotional avenues in order to be able to continue to take its large cut. However, that's no reason for the Copyright Royalty Board to put in place these artificial barriers that only serve to protect the recording industry's outdated understanding of its own business model.


http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070304/223155.shtml

Here is a direct link to the http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/030207/index.shtml that explains more of the insidious subtlety of what is happening.

Posted by: Lady of the Loch 07-Mar-2007, 01:55 PM
Thanks for the article Steven.
I also signed the petition#1 today and noticed that since I signed it this morning, ( and just made my fiance sign it) there are almost 3,000 more signartures!

Posted by: katcynth 07-Mar-2007, 02:22 PM
This blows. This is where I find out about artists I would have never known exsisted! The artists should be complaining too, the ones who will make the money are the already big names... You aren't going to hear Ceann or Clann au Drumma anywhere on the corporate stations I would have never heard of them unless I would have somehow stumbled onto to them... Celticradio.net saves me from having to look for artists I love... What a shame...Flat out greed going on here... I am going to snail-mail my representative... since the loser doesn't have an email...

Posted by: stevenpd 07-Mar-2007, 03:17 PM
QUOTE (sisterknight @ 07-Mar-2007, 06:18 AM)
god forbid it goes through, but can higlander radio come to canada?or scotland?or ireland?or germany?...i mean CR also has international listeners as well....so your gouvernment is cutting off it's nose to spite it's collective face. it's too bad that all those petitions can't be signed by all listeners
sorry, it's just frustrating not really being able to get involved.. sad.gif

They've been working on this for awhile . . .

QUOTE
SoundExchange® has been working with overseas performance rights organizations (PROs) like PPL (U.K.), SENA (Netherlands) and Somexfon (Mexico) to facilitate the distribution of royalties owed to U.S. artists from performances in these respective countries. By completing the Artist Designation and Authorization, in addition to the other required forms, you'll ensure the receipt of all royalties due you from U.S. and non-U.S. performances.


http://www.soundexchange.com/artist_home.html#artist

This is from the SoundExchange, these are the collectors of the fees, which is an arm of RIAA.

Posted by: stevenpd 07-Mar-2007, 03:29 PM
Here's another bit of news directly related to the issue at hand. Headlined' "RIAA Opposes Fair Use" bill.

QUOTE
Grant Gross, IDG News Service
Wed Feb 28, 3:00 PM ET

A new bill in the U.S. Congress aimed at protecting the fair use rights for consumers of copyright material would "legalize hacking," the Recording Industry Association of America said.

The Freedom and Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship (FAIR USE) Act, introduced Tuesday by U.S. Representatives Rick Boucher (news, bio, voting record), a Virginia Democrat, and John Doolittle (news, bio, voting record), a California Republican, would allow customers to circumvent digital copy restrictions in six limited areas when copyright owners' business models are not threatened, Boucher said in a press release. So-called fair use doctrine allows customers of copyright works to make limited numbers of copies, particularly for reviews, news reporting, teaching and research.

The bill would allow exemptions to the anticircumvention restrictions in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), passed by Congress in 1998. The bill is revamped from similar bills introduced in the last two sessions of Congress, Boucher said.

"The fair use doctrine is threatened today as never before," Boucher said in a statement. "Historically, the nation's copyright laws have reflected a carefully calibrated balanced between the rights of copyright owners and the rights of the users of copyrighted material. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act dramatically tilted the copyright balance toward complete copyright protection at the expense of the public's right to fair use."

But the RIAA said the bill would effectively repeal the DMCA. The bill would "allow electronics companies to induce others to break the law for their own profit," it said in a statement. Advances such digital music sales, online games, on-demand movies and e-books can be traced to DMCA protects, the RIAA said.

"The difference between hacking done for non-infringing purposes and hacking done to steal is impossible to determine and enforce," the RIAA said in its statement.

The Boucher bill would limit the availability of statutory damages against individuals and firms who may be found to have engaged in contributory infringement, inducement of infringement, or other indirect infringement. The bill would allow libraries to circumvent digital locks or secure copies of works that have been damaged, lost or stolen.

The Consumer Electronics Association applauded the bill, saying it would give protections to consumers, educators and libraries. Without fair use protections, consumers couldn't use devices such as VCRs and digital TV recorders, the trade group said.

Posted by: stevenpd 07-Mar-2007, 03:43 PM
Sorry to be posting in such a fashion, but I think it is important. Here is a little more about the bill. It was just introduced Feb 27, 2007 and has to go through committe berfore it gets voted on. In committee, the current bill can change. Even when it gets to the floor, it can be changed again before it is voted on.

QUOTE
DATE: February 27, 2007 
                 
Reps. Boucher and Doolittle Introduce the FAIR USE Act of 2007

Legislation Would Protect the Fair Use Rights of Digital Media Consumers

U.S. Representatives Rick Boucher (D-VA) and John Doolittle (R-CA), today introduced the Freedom And Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship Act of 2007 (FAIR USE Act) to protect the fair use rights of users of copyrighted material and thereby enable consumers of digital media to use it in ways that enhance their personal convenience. The legislation contains several improvements to the Digital Media Consumer's Rights Act, similar legislation which the lawmakers introduced in the 108th and 109th Congresses.  Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) is an original cosponsor of the legislation.

Because the fair use rights of consumers of digital media are severely threatened today, Boucher and Doolittle propose amending a 1998 law, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which was enacted at the behest of motion picture studios, the recording industry, and book publishers.


Rep. Boucher's http://www.boucher.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1011&Itemid=75

QUOTE
Freedom and Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)

HR 1201 IH

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1201

To amend title 17, United States Code, to promote innovation, to encourage the introduction of new technology, to enhance library preservation efforts, and to protect the fair use rights of consumers, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 27, 2007

Mr. BOUCHER (for himself, Mr. DOOLITTLE, and Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary


http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c110:10:./temp/~c110Zh8L8h::

Posted by: Macfive 07-Mar-2007, 05:19 PM
Wow, what a day! First, I would like to thank StevenPD for being a wealth of knowledge in posting all of this excellent material. Thank you Steven!!

Second, I am happy to report that the "listener wave" is starting to build and it appears it is having an effect. You are all directly responsible, along with other listeners at sites like Celtic Radio, for raising this issue in the press and in congress. Please read today's issue of RAIN (Radio and Internet Newsletter).

http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/030707/index.shtml#C_story

"Mainstream press outlets have begun to latch onto the severity and importance of the CRB ruling, providing robust coverage of the ruling's mandates and how the decision stands to silence the majority of the Webcasting community."

Today there was a congressional subcommittee hearing on Telecommunications and the Internet - the topic was "Digital Future of the United States: The Future of Radio." I am trying to get a link to the text of the meeting, but here are some of the players that are in our camp:

The Digital Media Association (DiMA), a trade organization for major online audio and video content providers like AOL, Apple, Live365, RealNetworks, Microsoft, and Pandora.

Moving Highlander Radio to a different country may not solve this problem as those countries have made "pacts" with the RIAA to prevent just a thing.

Unless Congress does something to change this ruling, then we will need to shutdown our operation. Watch developements with Live365 as we are tied to their network.

Posted by: MDF3530 07-Mar-2007, 05:24 PM
I contacted Senators Durbin and Obama and my congressman.

Posted by: Senara 07-Mar-2007, 06:01 PM
Hey guys...wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten ya. Good thing I checked in when I did. I'll be drafting a very carefully worded letter to Congressman Sensenbrenner, and Senators Kohl and Feingold this weekend. Don't have much time this week to sit down and do it but should have a moment to think on Saturday.

Have been telling my friends about the low-down sneaky trick and they're looking into it as well.

"They can take our lives but they can't take our FREEDOM" (lol.gif they should have known better to mess with the listening habits of the irish and scotch!)

Posted by: stevenpd 07-Mar-2007, 06:07 PM
Here is the http://energycommerce.house.gov/membios/contact_form.shtml for the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. these are the folks that are having hearings on the issue. There was one today. I couldn't find any info onthe next one.

Posted by: Senara 07-Mar-2007, 06:07 PM
oh shoot I just had an idea...

why don't we pick a date like say next friday Mar. 16th and a time like say 1pm and have everyone call their respective representatives to wish them a Happy St. Patrick's Day and then also mention that we wish to oppose the new royalty proposals.

What ya think? It could be something just here for CR or maybe spread the word? You think they'd hear us if we flooded the phone lines in Washington?

Posted by: Macfive 07-Mar-2007, 07:42 PM
QUOTE (Senara @ 07-Mar-2007, 07:07 PM)
why don't we pick a date like say next friday Mar. 16th and a time like say 1pm and have everyone call their respective representatives to wish them a Happy St. Patrick's Day and then also mention that we wish to oppose the new royalty proposals.

This is a great idea. Maybe we will have a theme to go along with St. Patrick's Day........

We will be contacting all musicians before this date and also all members.

Posted by: Macfive 07-Mar-2007, 08:25 PM
After reading all of the information that Steven posted I found myself at a new website called:

Broadcast Log Blog

Its published by Davis, Wright, Tremaine - which appears to be an Internet Radio Friendly Law Firm.

After reading their most recent post, I am encouraged that in the event that small webcasters are shutdown in the U.S. - we could resurrect Highlander Radio.

http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/archives/internet-radio-what-next-for-internet-radio-in-light-of-the-copyright-royalty-board-decision.html

Any comments or help with this matter would be greatly appreciated - especially from those legal minds out there!

Posted by: stevenpd 07-Mar-2007, 08:43 PM
Excellent article! I'm going to take some time to digest it, because during my research the three main ways of keeping going were suggested to one degree or another.

Highlander Radio isn't dead yet, so let's not have any talk about it dieing.

Posted by: Macfive 07-Mar-2007, 08:47 PM
QUOTE (stevenpd @ 07-Mar-2007, 09:43 PM)
Highlander Radio isn't dead yet, so let's not have any talk about it dieing.

Here Here.....

Actually the next few days we are going to be talking about winners of our February Contest and also what we have up for grabs on St. Patrick's Day. I can tell you there will be a substantial amount of prizes on that day!

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 07-Mar-2007, 08:57 PM
Speaking of musicians is anyone able to email the Brobdingnagian Bards about this. They have a large following on the internet and the Ren faire circuit. I wasn't able to. My server listed the message as spam and wouldn't send it.

Posted by: Sekhmet 07-Mar-2007, 09:34 PM
I haven't seen Marc pop his head up in awhile...

Posted by: Macfive 07-Mar-2007, 10:02 PM
I think Marc is on our musician list and we plan on letting all of our musicians know about this issue sometime this month.

Ok, more good news. Key Democrat Rep. Edward Markey had harsh words for the ruling released by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board:

http://news.com.com/New+Net+radio+rules+draw+fire+on+Capitol+Hill/2100-1028_3-6165336.html

And he is from my home state! smile.gif Let's keep the pressure up. There seems to be a number of issues in Congress about digital media that could benefit from all of the listener involvement.

Posted by: Sekhmet 08-Mar-2007, 01:34 PM
Guh, they're more worried about XM and Sirius merging and making a monopoly. A concern, of course...but satellite radio sucks anyway. ::cough::

I was talking with my husband over lunch about this whole thing, and we've now begun to wonder why it seems that internet radio seems to be getting hit with *punitive* costs rather than anything that would even remotely resemble fair costs for royalty payments. At least from here, particularly with the whole ridiculous mess being *retroactive* no less...it seems there's some sort of punishment involved. Why?

Posted by: stevenpd 08-Mar-2007, 03:20 PM
It appears that the "music" industry can't keep up with technology. With the advent of peer-to-peer networks that made it very difficult to track who copied what music and the current concern of "ripping" music streams, RIAA wants somebody to pay. They are looking at the internet as an evil, untapped resource. They seem to look at webcasting as something that is counter to their goals. But what they fail to realize is webcasting is actually revitalizing the music industry with a healthy dose of competition.

John Q. Public is no longer satisfied with traditional radio. He finds it bland and unappealing. Too much fluff (i.e. commercials) and not enough substance (i.e. music). Additionally the quality of music, dependant upon the listener, is not appealing to the masses. Then there is the issue of selection. How many times do you want to listen to the top 40? There is no diversity.

In comes the internet and webcasters. WHAM! You have selection, a relative quality and diversity in the music. If you don't like something, you don't have to listen to it, you simply go to another webcast. In essence, a free market in music. The internet has yet to be fully harnessed due to its property of being so nebulas. Commercial radio is the opposite.

Webcasters do not need hundreds of thousands of dollars to broadcast. It can be started by the guy down the street with a computer and an internet connection, throw in some good software and voila, a webcast. Left to its own devices, the webcast swims or sinks on its own merits.

In the grand scheme of things, webcasters are the orphaned childern of broadcasting. They are tolerated like buzzing flies. Larger corporatioins like Sirrius and XM with their technology, are a little different. Its easier to hit an elephant than a fly. These elephants can be dangerous too, especially if they get a running start. What better way to assure you get your pound of flesh than to go after the elephants, the flies will be taken care as part of the hunt on the elephants and the whole issue being taken care of in one fell swoop.

The myopic morons at RIAA do not want to update their business model to embrace anything new. They are still stuck on trying to figure out what has happened to the music industry overall. RIAA will tell you that they are fighting against copyright infringement and piracy. Instead of dealing with the root causes (bootlegs of entire albums, etc.) they attack the problem with a sledge hammer and can't quite understand why they can't nail down quicksilver. Their current response is to lump everyone and everything into one ball and plead ignorance of any possible solutions to the problem.

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 08-Mar-2007, 04:01 PM
That this is and has been an issue is amazing. I can buy any piece of clothing with any logo on it, wear a few hundred times, and then either give it away or sell at a rumage sale and no one gives a fiddlers fart. I take one little crappy top 40 cd and buy it brand new or from some used Cd store (cuz I can't afford what the industry charges for its plastic and tin foil plates) and when I get tired of it and want to resell what I've already paid once for, I am suddenly branded a crook. The whole thing sounds like the suits would like to have some sort of fee charged every time a piece of music changes hands. Opps sorry, you took that half note from my song-you owe me a quarter. Just plain old greed. This is going to turn me into criminal yet.

Posted by: Sekhmet 08-Mar-2007, 04:34 PM
Historically, this is the same spasm they had when blank cassettes came out. And when VCRs came out. You'd think after thirty years or so they'd get the idea...

Posted by: Macfive 08-Mar-2007, 07:49 PM
Some excellent reading here, I enjoyed these comments and all so true. Steven you hit the nail on the head!

Some other points I would like to make:

The RIAA is going after music downloaders, usually children, by suing their parents, grandparents or children themselves. In most cases, these are not pirates or hackers, just everyday people. So again, using OUR legal system for their own purpose. Using it against us! They should be going after the services that provide these illegal downloads.

Just how many times do I need to purchase a song. We bought the same song (some of us) on a Record, then 8-track, then cassette, then CD and then we downloaded it from iTunes! We just keep purchasing the same material over and over again.

The RIAA says stream ripping is a major problem. This is completely wrong. Who has the time to install special software, wait for a song to come on and record that song and edit the tags and audio track. I know for myself I would rather spend the .99 for the track if I really wanted it from iTunes. I would like to see the proof that this is a problem. Also, what is the difference between this and recording a song from the FM dial onto a recordable DVD player?

And finally, a comment that I think needs to be explored in more detail. Out of all of the illegal downloaders, how much $$$ is the RIAA really losing? Chances are those people downloading the tracks illegally would have never purchased the music legally. So, instead they make all of the people playing by the rules and purchasing music pay for the very small percentage of people downloading illegally.

Its all about control. Kinda like if you try and control your children, eventually they grow up and blaze their own trails. You can't control them forever......

You know, just a thought but perhaps it is all of the corporations in America that are giving us a bad name around the Globe. You can not argue that we as Americans are some of the most generous individuals on the planet......can you imagine what other countries think of the RIAA....


Posted by: Rindy 08-Mar-2007, 07:54 PM
Very good point Macfive. What do you think of the idea of us posting the urls and such on our my space? Good or Bad idea? Most of mine are bands and it may cause a big response.

Slainte

Posted by: Aaediwen 08-Mar-2007, 08:27 PM
I've already posted some of the URLs from here in bullatins on MySpace. I have also made a point to add, that if this goes through, then podcasts and anywhere else where average joe can post media (even of his own creation), are next on the list. which includes MySpace and YouTube. They will be no more very soon if the RIAA gets away with this.

Posted by: Rindy 08-Mar-2007, 08:31 PM
Thanks Aaediwen. Ok I will do that. What a mess huh? Ok got to copy some urls etc. Thanks for answering...see what happens I guess we can always remove them.

Have a nice night..Slainte

Posted by: haynes9 08-Mar-2007, 08:44 PM
This is great reading. I trust that it will make a difference. Thanks to everyone for posting. I feel a lot more up to speed on what the real issues here are.

I am planing on following up (a civil way of harassing) call to my elected officials next week. I want each of them to make a public stand on this issue. Certainly, this is not a conservative vs. liberal issue. It affects all of us who appreciate the opportunity to choose where we get our media information and entertainment from. Keep hounding your elected officials!

Have a great day!

Posted by: Rindy 08-Mar-2007, 08:46 PM
Good for you haynes. Well I am off to post all this somewhere on my space. May not fit...may take some time. I will definetly post it on Clann An Drummas site.

Slainte smile.gif

Posted by: Macfive 09-Mar-2007, 07:27 AM
Yes, this issue should just not cover internet radio. It should cover podcasts and also consumer protection. I agree, once they knock off internet radio - they will set their sites on Podcasts and consumers.


Posted by: itsmewendylee 09-Mar-2007, 12:19 PM
Although most podcasters are non-profit hobbyists, which means we are exempt from "tax" because we aren't making an income, we know the RIAA is after us as well, using copyright and distribution law to figure out how to wipe us all out. Thus I feel a solidarity with my web radio bretheren, and I also happen to love LISTENING to web radio, so this has been a big deal for me!

There are plenty of illegal podcasts out there (playing music without permission,) but there are also alot of us playing by the rules- like me!

First off, I did send this to Marc, who is so busy lately he's just drowning in stuff. As a podcaster, like me, he isn't directly affected, but, as a lover of internet radio and a musician whose main avenue of reaching the market is internet radio and podcasting, he will be heavily affected, so I'm sure he's keeping tabs!

Second- I already blogged about this on my myspace site and urge everyone who has a myspace site to do so! I also copied my blog and sent it out as a bulletin.

Third- finally got around to creating a whole page for the issue on my side. Yeah, I blatantly cut and pasted most of it. It was quickest way to get it out there, and time is of the essence.
http://web.mac.com/elmhead/iWeb/Cleveland%20Celtic%20Podcast/Save%20Internet%20Radio%21.html

Hope it helps!

Wendy

Posted by: stevenpd 09-Mar-2007, 02:40 PM
The more people know about this obscene situation, the better!

I was just reading an article where it is projected that, in the end, webcasters would be paying about 10 times more than terrestial radio! They're projecting that SoundExchange will have revenues of $2.3 billion.

QUOTE
At the projected 2010 rate, streaming radio providers would provide SoundExchange with $2.3 billion in revenue. That's almost exactly 400% of the calculated cumulative total for PRO royalties to be collected during that same year - and keep in mind, radio stations with Internet services would owe both fees.

From this perspective, the SoundExchange royalties only look four times as much. But the size of the overall markets are disproportionate, so we asked ourselves what each station is paying per listener, if the assessed charges were applied to listeners rather than to songs.

How much should Internet and terrestrial broadcasters expect to pay in royalties fees for each of its customers? Our estimates reveal the disparity.

On a per-listener scale, broadcast radio stations paid $1.56 per listener on average during 2006; and in 2010, that figure rises to $1.94 per listener. BetaNews estimates that Internet radio sites, by contrast, will pay $8.91 per listener for 2006, rising to $15.59 per listener in 2008 and staying flat beyond that time.

Thus an Internet radio music provider is likely to pay in royalties almost ten times the amount for each of its listeners throughout the year, than the terrestrial broadcaster.


Here's the http://www.betanews.com/article/Dissecting_the_Proposed_Internet_Radio_Royalty_Fees/1173391352/1

The article is fairly detailed financial analysis of the fees, but the charts are clear.

We just have to keep the pressure up. More knowledgable sources than I are concluding that this is a blatant attempt to monopolize the music industry. If RIAA gets away with this now, then its a matter of time before they go after the podcasters.

Posted by: John Clements 09-Mar-2007, 04:21 PM
I can remember how suggested that CR could move to Scotland, rather then being extorted out of business, but it’s not a bad idea. I might even join you, should it come to that. Don’t give up the ship.

JC

Posted by: Macfive 09-Mar-2007, 07:18 PM
Thanks again for everyone's support! And thank you Wendy for the plug and words of advice.

Falling developments closely. Alot of the outcome depends on what happens to Live365 - our broadcast provider. While I've read some articles that are promising, I've also read that there just may not be enough time for congress to act.

The ramnifications of this goes beyond internet radio. Think of all of the bandwidth providers, people developing broadcast tools, software, website design, audio trailers - even independent musicians themselves depend upon internet radio to broadcast their content. You are talking about an industry that creates jobs and probably puts millions of dollars into the economy.

You kill Internet Radio and you also kill jobs too!



Posted by: Dreamer1 10-Mar-2007, 12:32 PM
Okay, I've emailed all of our family, friends, and our State Rep. and Senators (Kennedy and Kerry). Our daughters are sending emails to all of their friends, to be passed along to their parents! I've signed all the petitions I could find, too.

This is an intolerable and unthinkable attack on our freedom, and must not be allowed to stand! Hang on Paul - we're all fighting for you, and for all of internet radio!

Dreamer1

Posted by: stevenpd 10-Mar-2007, 02:38 PM
QUOTE (Macfive @ 09-Mar-2007, 05:18 PM)
Thanks again for everyone's support! And thank you Wendy for the plug and words of advice.

Falling developments closely. Alot of the outcome depends on what happens to Live365 - our broadcast provider. While I've read some articles that are promising, I've also read that there just may not be enough time for congress to act.

The ramnifications of this goes beyond internet radio. Think of all of the bandwidth providers, people developing broadcast tools, software, website design, audio trailers - even independent musicians themselves depend upon internet radio to broadcast their content. You are talking about an industry that creates jobs and probably puts millions of dollars into the economy.

You kill Internet Radio and you also kill jobs too!

Timing seems to be the biggest issue in question. first round appeals can be filed within 30 days and secondary appeals within ninety days. I think that with all of the hoopla that has been created, everything will be put on hold until more hearings can be done. In other words, until they can figure a graceful way of back pedaling out of this mess.

Posted by: itsmewendylee 10-Mar-2007, 03:38 PM
QUOTE (stevenpd @ 10-Mar-2007, 03:38 PM)

I think that with all of the hoopla that has been created, everything will be put on hold until more hearings can be done.  In other words, until they can figure a graceful way of back pedaling out of this mess.

Let's hope you are right!

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 10-Mar-2007, 06:52 PM
So far about 100+ people have viewed the message I posted on the two Ren boards. Not much but its a start. I'll post on some of the larger ones tonight and anywhere else I can think of.

Posted by: stevenpd 11-Mar-2007, 11:43 AM
Let's just keep the pressure up. Every little bit helps! With enough drips, we can fill a bucket.

Posted by: Sekhmet 11-Mar-2007, 12:36 PM
...you callin' me a drip, Steve? wink.gif

Posted by: stevenpd 11-Mar-2007, 12:41 PM
Yes, consider yourself a drip and together we can fill a bucket.

Posted by: haynes9 11-Mar-2007, 05:01 PM
Proud to be a Highlander Radio Drip!

Posted by: stevenpd 12-Mar-2007, 01:37 PM
A ray of hope? Are the drips winning?

QUOTE
Anxious Times for Net Radio
Music Industry Wants Higher Royalties,
But Are Labels Undermining Themselves?
March 12, 2007

Is Internet radio in trouble?

Last week the Copyright Royalty Board released a ruling proposing new performance royalty rates for online radio stations. An online radio station would pay .08 cent per song per listener for 2006 (the rates are retroactive), .11 cent in 2007, .14 in 2008, .18 cents in 2009 and .19 cents in 2010. Seems like little enough, but it adds up -- and this small change is a big change for small Webcasters. Under a deal brokered in 2002, small Webcasters had met their royalty obligations by paying artists and record labels 12% of revenue, but the new rules would do away with that exemption.

MORE ON NET RADIO

Computerworld has a good overview of the current Net-radio flap here. For more, see the Broadcast Law Blog's coverage here and here.

Net-radio operators have sounded the alarm. Kurt Hanson, founder of online radio company Accuradio, told my print colleague Sarah McBride that he estimated the new rules would raise Accuradio's royalty payments to about $600,000 -- more than Accuradio's 2006 revenue -- from about $50,000. And he warns others face similarly tough math, arguing that even well-run Net-radio stations would see performance royalties eat up all their annual revenue -- and that's before the need to pay royalties to composers. (Performance royalties and composer royalties are separate -- the former are paid to artists and record labels, while the latter are paid to songwriters and music publishers.) "Terrestrial" broadcasters who stream radio would also pay more, and public-radio stations would no longer be able to pay a flat fee, as agreed to in a previous deal.

"Left unchanged, these rates will end Internet radio," Pandora.com co-founder Tim Westergren warned on Pandora's blog. (Pandora, a combination streaming-audio service and recommendation engine, could be particularly hard hit by the new rules: As a multichannel operator, the service would have to pay $500 per channel that has a certain number of listener hours. Pandora has 6 million users, each of whom can have up to 100 channels. You can see why the company is worried.)
To be sure, there's a lot left to this story -- it makes more sense to view what's happening now as hardball negotiating than as an endgame. Besides the possibility of striking a deal, Webcasters can appeal, and Internet-radio fans are signing petitions and writing letters to their representatives. It isn't clear if Congress will step in before the appeals process runs its course, but lawmakers have taken notice: Rep. Edward Markey (D., Mass.) said in a hearing last week that "this represents a body blow to many nascent Internet radio broadcasters and further exacerbates the marketplace imbalance between what different industries pay." Then there's the possibility that the furor could spill over to the proposed merger between Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio. Those companies have argued they should be allowed to team up, in part, because satellite radio competes with Internet radio.

Net-radio fans are angry, but they shouldn't be too hasty in blasting the Copyright Royalty Board. The real problem is a pair of misguided decisions made by Congress in the 1990s.

Tim Hanrahan and I wrote about this issue nearly five years ago, and it's depressing to see how little has changed. A brief recap: The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, building on 1995's Digital Performance Rights in Sounds Recordings Act, said Net-radio firms had to pay performance royalties on songs played in addition to composer royalties on those songs. Terrestrial radio stations pay composer royalties, but they don't pay performance royalties, under the long-established rationale that record labels benefit from the promotional value of songs played on the radio.

So if a Clear Channel radio station plays that new Fergie song over the air, it doesn't pay a performance royalty -- but if it streams Fergie over the Net (or satellite radio), it does. Make sense to you?

Of course not -- because that makes no sense whatsoever. Treating the two as different is missing the radio forest for the Internet trees; in a sane world, lawmakers would treat radio as radio, regardless of how it's delivered. For the recording industry's disingenuous analysis of the law governing radio and royalties, read our 2002 Real Time, which preserves part of a Recording Industry Association of America FAQ that's been taken down. (The recording industry maintains that Net-radio operators aren't in danger of going under this time either, thanks to steadily increasing advertising revenues.)

All this aside, I've become a fan of Pandora since writing about it here, and perhaps my recent experience with the service will serve as a warning to the recording industry of what it could be losing.

Pandora has become one of the most-important ways I find new music. It's a very simple service: You visit its Web site and tell it a handful of songs and/or artists you like, and it generates a streaming-audio channel for you, which you then refine by telling it you like a song, dislike it or are tired of it. If I like a song, I give it a thumbs-up, which simultaneously prompts Pandora to change my music channel to take that into account and bookmarks the song for later.

Last week I went through my Pandora profile to see all the songs I'd given a thumbs-up to since last summer. I played little snippets of the songs I'd indicated I liked, then I went over to eMusic and iTunes and bought 13 songs by 12 bands -- none of which I'd heard of before finding them on Pandora. I added my new purchases to my latest iTunes playlist, put on my iPod, and have been playing them nonstop since then.

Thirteen songs isn't a lot, but it's only been a week. I know I'll wind up buying more songs by those 12 bands, and some full albums by the bands I decide I really like. (I'm excited to find out that there are four albums by the Dagons, whose gleefully noisy "Heaven Wasn't in the Sky" is my new favorite song.) I'll recommend the songs that have staying power to my friends, perhaps leading some of them to buy them. And I'll keep listening to Pandora, leading to more songs getting a thumbs-up, and more music bought.

To me, that virtuous circle sure sounds like the old "radio is free promotion" bargain underlying traditional radio -- for which performance royalties have never been paid in the U.S. Yes, there are technological differences between terrestrial radio and Net radio, notably the ability to guide what's played, skip songs and keep track of what I like. But those differences seem to work to the advantage of artists and record labels: With Net radio, I'm more likely to hear songs I like, bookmark them and buy them. One listener's experiences aren't necessarily grounds for extrapolation, but this bargain seems like a pretty good deal for the recording industry, one it ought to be careful about altering.

Should Net radio be treated differently from terrestrial radio? Why or why not? Any experiences with Net radio? Write to me at [email protected]. If you've got something to say but don't want your comments considered for publication, please make that clear.

Posted by: podkod 12-Mar-2007, 04:01 PM
OK.
I emailed Hatch, Bennett and Bishop.
KOD

Posted by: podkod 12-Mar-2007, 04:03 PM
Even though I am only a peasant. ;)

Posted by: Aaediwen 12-Mar-2007, 05:53 PM
A peasant drip is just as meaningful smile.gif

Thank you for the help

Posted by: Macfive 12-Mar-2007, 05:53 PM
QUOTE (podkod @ 12-Mar-2007, 06:03 PM)
Even though I am only a peasant. wink.gif

Since your a Celtic Radio Founder, you can change that in your control panel!

BTW, here is an excellent resource page on Live365 that has suggested wording to write congress and a bunch of other useful info:

http://www.live365.com/info/royalties.html


Posted by: CelticAngus 13-Mar-2007, 07:36 AM
Letter Have Been Sent to all members of Congress &
Just sent an email to our representatives.
We need to keep Internet Radio Alive!

Angel Blessings

king.gif
CelticAngus[FONT=Geneva][COLOR=MediumOrchid]

Posted by: stevenpd 13-Mar-2007, 08:06 AM
Every Highlander drip counts!

Posted by: haynes9 13-Mar-2007, 09:19 AM
Dripped again this morning! Called Senators Kyl and McCain and Congressman Renzi. The staffers I spoke to indicated that they had been getting some email on the subject, so it seems that the message is getting through at least. Now it remains to be seen what the response will be.

Everyone keep dripping!

Proud to be a Highlander Drip!

And as of 10:50 AM (MDT) this morning, there are 18,470 signatures on the petition at Save Internet Radio!

Posted by: normancelt 13-Mar-2007, 02:24 PM
Fellow lovers of Celtic Music, I have submitted my name to the petition to stop this madness. I have heard artists that I didn't even knew existed. We have to keep the independent internet radio stations available to all who want listen. I will spread the word to all of my friends that love independent radio.

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 13-Mar-2007, 05:16 PM
In related news I see Viacom has decided to sue Goggle for 1 billion over Copyright infringment.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/ViacomSuesYouTube.aspx?GT1=9215

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 13-Mar-2007, 05:21 PM
Mac, could you post that resource page here in the forum. My computer just gives me a big white screen with a blue top border on that page. Still hav'nt figured out the problem from last October between my comp and the Live 365 website.

Posted by: stevenpd 13-Mar-2007, 06:59 PM
Keep dripping!

QUOTE
Internet Radio on Death Row
By Doc Searls on Thu, 2007-03-08 16:52.

Internet Radio has been sentenced to death.

In a move that recalls the Vogons' decision to destroy Earth to clear the way for a highway bypass through space (a thankfully fictional premise of Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), the judges comprising the Copyright Royalty Board have decided to destroy the Internet radio industry so the Recording Industry won't be inconvenienced by something it doesn't know, like or understand.


http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1000196

The article is rather lengthly but chock full of good information. The very gentleman that wrote the basic fee structure when he was working for Yahoo indicates that he was TRYING TO DESTROY INTERNET RADIO!

The word is getting out. Recently saw an article from the UKabout the situation! We just have to keep the pressure up.

Posted by: Dade 13-Mar-2007, 07:21 PM
Signed the petition

Posted by: Macfive 13-Mar-2007, 07:34 PM
QUOTE (Roberto Phoenix @ 13-Mar-2007, 07:16 PM)
In related news I see Viacom has decided to sue Goggle for 1 billion over Copyright infringment.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/ViacomSuesYouTube.aspx?GT1=9215

I might not be thinking with the mainstream here, but to me I think alot of these big media companies just don't get it.

The best thing that could ever happen to their shows is for clips to show on Google Video and You Tube. Thats got to be some of the best advertising possible!

Again, the big media companies just don't get it. But you have to look at the people running these companies. It is all about MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!! MORE MORE MORE!!

Whatever happen to the love of music, the love of acting - doing something because you love to do it and getting paid for it! Its the artists and musicians that are getting the raw end of the deal here.

How can I best say this. A number of years ago my path crossed with a person that currently runs one of the largest media companies in the world. We are talking name-brand. It is actually laughable how he ever got to the position he is in now. Lets just say that it was not even his family's line of business.

I don't know, I guess I just don't get it. I would think that media companies would be run by people that actually worked in the business. Not someone that acquires companies for a living!

All these lawsuites, copyright infringements, court suits - we are stifling innovation and creativiness. Now I realize we need to have copyright protection to protect artists work, but I really think we have gone too far and a backlash is growing that could potentially threaten the grasp these corporate media companies have on America and the World for that matter.

Posted by: Aaediwen 13-Mar-2007, 08:03 PM
QUOTE (Macfive @ 13-Mar-2007, 08:34 PM)

All these lawsuites, copyright infringements, court suits - we are stifling innovation and creativiness. Now I realize we need to have copyright protection to protect artists work, but I really think we have gone too far and a backlash is growing that could potentially threaten the grasp these corporate media companies have on America and the World for that matter.

Ya know, this is EXACTLY what is needed! We need copyright protection to protect the artists and their work from Pirates. . . . Pirates that sit behind a desk stealing copyrights and royalties from Artists and consitiutional rights from everyone else.

Posted by: Elspeth 15-Mar-2007, 04:12 AM
Signed the petition and e-mailed Rep. Betty Sutton and Senators George Voinovich and Sherrrod Brown.

Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Music!

drip.... drip.... drip....


Have to think this puts the artists in a rock and hard place situation. In fighting for exposure at this stage of their careers do they jeopordize their futures? I would think the fear of being blackballed by mega-corporation radio is very real.




PS... up to over 21,000 signatures.

Posted by: stevenpd 17-Mar-2007, 11:04 AM
Keep on dripping! They'll get the message!

thumbs_up.gif note.gif note.gif note.gif thumbs_up.gif

Posted by: pretentiouswombat 17-Mar-2007, 12:11 PM
I wrote to Representative John Linder from Georgia and I'm going to email friends and family about this issue.


Posted by: Garden Fairy 17-Mar-2007, 01:33 PM
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=14][COLOR=Green]

I sent an email to the Pennsylvania Congressmen. I hope they hear our voice through all the other hot topics on the Hill that catch the TV news.

Has anyone contacted (emailed) any of the network or cable news channels about this?
I'll bet Keith Olbermann would have a field day with this issue. Maybe the RIAA could become one of the "Worst Person of the Day", they sure deserve it.

Happy St Patrick's Day,

Garden Fairy

Posted by: Aaediwen 17-Mar-2007, 02:57 PM
Drip... Drip... Dripped yesterday. and then turned around and left my first message on the call in line about it.

Posted by: rhatcher1313 17-Mar-2007, 05:23 PM
Happy St. Patrick's Day !
I have also had letters forwarded by my congressman, Virgil H. Goode Jr., who also shares the same concerns about the CRB's decision, to the interim chief of CRB. Here is his address,
Mr. Bruce G. Forrest, Interim Chief
Copyright Royalty Board
Library of Congress
PO Box 70977
Washington, DC 20024-0977
So, dear members, please also mail a letter of concern to this gentleman also. I have become quite a political-activist this March. I cannot count how many letters, calls, spamming All my friends, contacts, etc., this month. I'm sure that all members have been doing the same! Keep up the good fight! Also, please, let Macfive know how much you appreciate this wonderful site & station! Also, yesterday, have been "flooding" the switch-boards in DC. Gonna have a large phone bill, this month. It will be worth every bit spent, when we win this battle! Thanks again!
Slainte,
rhatcher1313

Posted by: parkers1 19-Mar-2007, 09:50 PM
Aye - What Next, this is getting the support it should, from all us that listen but I think there also needs to be air time spent on this issue!!!!!!!!

Posted by: haynes9 20-Mar-2007, 09:29 AM
Saw this article on The Drudge Report. Seems like the word is getting out.

Broadcasters Challenge Streaming Rules
Monday March 19, 7:12 pm ET
By Seth Sutel, AP Business Writer
Radio Stations and Online Broadcasters Challenge Copyright Ruling on Internet Royalties


NEW YORK (AP) -- A wide array of broadcasters and online companies on Monday challenged a ruling from a panel of copyright judges that they say could cripple the emerging business of offering music broadcasts over the Internet.

Clear Channel Communications Inc., National Public Radio, and groups representing both large and small companies providing music broadcasts online were among those asking the Copyright Royalty Board to reconsider key parts of its March 2 ruling.

That ruling, the challenging parties say, would greatly increase the amount of royalties that online music broadcasters would have to pay to record labels and performers as well as put unreasonable demands on them to track how many songs were listened to by exactly how many individuals online.

The royalties in question only apply to digital transmissions of music, such as through Web sites, and are paid to the performers of songs and record labels. Webcasters also pay additional royalties to the composers and publishers of music, similar to those also paid by over-the-air broadcasters.

Digital performance rights were originally granted to record companies in 1995, in part with the intention of protecting them against the possibility that digital transmissions could erode the sales of CDs.

Under a previous arrangement, which expired at the end of 2005, broadcasters and online companies such as Yahoo Inc. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit could pay royalties based on estimates of how many songs were played over a given period of time, or a "tuning hour," as opposed to counting every single song.

Jonathan Potter, the executive director of the Digital Media Association, which represents major online companies affected by the decision, asked that the judges specifically allow a per-tuning-hour approximation measure for paying the royalties.

Potter also asked the judges to clarify a $500 annual fee per broadcasting channel, saying that with some online companies offering many thousands of listening options, counting each one as a separate channel could lead to huge fees for online broadcasters.

NPR argued in its filing Monday that the new rules would have "crippling effects" on public radio's ability to meet its mandate of serving the public interest, and it also objected to the $500 per-channel minimum fee.

A group of commercial broadcasters including San Antonio, Texas-based Clear Channel, the largest radio company in the country, also asked for a reconsideration of key parts of the ruling, saying that the methods used to calculate the fees were faulty.

The motions filed Monday covered relatively technical aspects of the ruling and mark the first of what is likely to be other legal challenges to the decision.

NPR said in its filing that it also intended, in due course, to appeal the overall decision by the copyright judges to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington.

A previous agreement covering small commercial webcasters, which also expired at the end of 2005, allowed those companies to pay a flat rate of 12 percent of annual revenues in lieu of calculating the total number of listener-hours as larger broadcasters and Web companies were required to.

The ruling makes no such provision, something that those companies are asking the judges to reconsider.

SoundExchange, an entity that collects royalties from digital music broadcasters and distributes them to rights holders, has said the ruling was fair and that the rapid growth in advertising revenues from online music broadcasting would more than allow webcasters to cover the new fees.

SoundExchange pointed to research finding that those ad revenues grew from $50 million in 2003 to $500 million last year.



Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 22-Mar-2007, 03:39 PM
Bit of sad news. This was posted over at Atthefaire.com but its probably on Renradio's main site. Sad to see it go. Ren radio was were i first heard of this station. Keep on driping people. The water pressure might force the cork out so the waters can flow free again.

Renradio has been broadcasting since 1999. I've fought and worked hard to keep it on the net and free. I have made many compromises as big business has tried to push the small web casters out of business and control what you listen to just like terrestrial radio and satellite radio. I never wanted to compete with them I just wanted to listen to the music I like and share it with the few others that like it too. Over the years Renradio went from something I set up to play with and listen to at work to peak at 3 stream station with over a thousand listeners. I was voted as one of the best Celtic and Folk station on Yahoo. I don't play Pop music or anything mainstream but the RIAA and big record labels still wanted (more) money. I joined Live365 the 1st time the RIAA raised the rates so I could keep playing even though I had to let them insert commercials and take a vow of poverty and not make any money off the station. Not that I ever intended to. It was a hobby, it was for fun.

I made so many new friends, met so many new artist. I gained a bit of notoriety and fame within our community as "Rengeek the owner of Renradio". It got me free beers and plenty of thanks and compliments. And to my amazement people donated money and their talents to keep this thing going. Truthfully this is what has kept me going when my life took a turn for the worse. I don't want it to go away.

But the apathy and willingness for this country, and it's government, to let big business do what they want no matter who's freedom it steps on or what they take in the name of money leaves me with little choice. I can not justify the hundreds of dollars they will demand or the hundreds of dollars they want retroactively to continue this station. I frankly don't have the money or the energy to continue to fight alone. I'm tired, so very tired of the fight.

We all like a story such as David and Goliath, but in the end we all know it is just a fable.

From Rain:

The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has announced its decision on Internet radio royalty rates, rejecting all of the arguments made by Webcasters and instead adopting the "per play" rate proposal put forth by SoundExchange(a digital music fee collection body created by the RIAA).

RAIN has learned the rates that the Board has decided on, effective retroactively through the beginning of 2006. They are as follows:

2006 $.0008 per performance
2007 $.0011 per performance
2008 $.0014 per performance
2009 $.0018 per performance
2010 $.0019 per performance

A "performance" is defined as the streaming of one song to one listener; thus a station that has an average audience of 500 listeners racks up 500 "performances" for each song it plays.

The minimum fee is $500 per channel per year. There is no clear definition of what a 'channel' is for services that make up individualized playlists for listeners.

For noncommercial webcasters, the fee will be $500 per channel, for up to 159,140 ATH (aggregate tuning hours) per month. They would pay the commercial rate for all transmissions above that number.

Participants are granted a 15 day period wherein they have the opportunity to ask the CRB for a re-hearing.

Within 60 days of the final determination, the decision is supposed to be published in the Federal Register, along with any technical corrections that the Board may wish to make.

Within 30 days of publication in the Federal Register, it can be appealed (but only by the participants) to the U.S. Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia.

Rengeek Dee of Jay at Renradio.com

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 22-Mar-2007, 04:13 PM
And now for some goodnews!! I surfed over to Renradio to see if there were any new developments. Good news. NPR has joined into the fight!
I felt the article a bit long to post but here is the link for it
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070320-npr-fights-back-seeks-rehearing-on-internet-radio-royalty-increases.html

drip, drip, splash

Posted by: Sekhmet 22-Mar-2007, 08:24 PM
Aw, damn. I listened to Renradio for a long time, even after I started coming here regularly. I hate to see them go.

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 22-Mar-2007, 09:53 PM
Both of my previous posts were from renradios website so there may be hope yet!!

Posted by: stevenpd 22-Mar-2007, 10:26 PM
Don't give up! Keep dripping! The drips are starting to become streams.

QUOTE
"CRB agrees to hear arguments from groups seeking rehearing"

BY DANIEL MCSWAIN

The Copyright Royalty Board announced late yesterday (March 20,2007) it is considering "Motions for Rehearing" filed by various parties affected by the Board's recent webcast royalty determination.

Previously, both Radio & Records and CNet News had mistakenly reported that a rehearing had been granted by the CRB in the royalty rate case. While it is promising that the Board is agreeing to hear motions, no rehearing has been granted at this time.

Many advocates of Internet radio see the decision to hear motions as a "first step" toward the resolution of problematic issues surrounding the royalty rate decision.

In a brief issued yesterday afternoon [.pdf], Chief Copyright Royalty Judge James Scott Sledge wrote that crbthe Board "desires to hear the positions of each party on each of the issues raised in these motions." The brief also notes that the responses to the motion must be filed by April 2nd.

Since the CRB's March 2nd announcement of the proposed royalty rates there has been a swift and massively negative response to the decision stson behalf of journalists, advocates, webcasters and listeners alike.

Over the past number of days, tens of thousands of fans have poured into petition signing sites like SaveTheStreams.org and SaveOurInternetRadio.com, while press outlets from the Wall Street Journal to Salon.com have been quick to give the issue a continuing spotlight.

Posted by: parkers1 24-Mar-2007, 04:06 PM
My part of Texas has been contacted about this issue, below is a response I got back that I thought I should share.
Dear Mr. Parker:

Thank you for contacting me about the important issue of music performance rights. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this important matter.

As you are aware, rapid advances in communications technology have led to the development of digital television and radio, as well as subscription satellite television and radio services. These new capabilities expand the range of choices available to consumers; subscription satellite radio is one of the most successful examples of quickly advancing technology. I welcome such consumer-driven innovation and enjoy a personal satellite radio subscription.

As expected, technological innovation also brings with it the threat of copyright infringement. While recent technology advances represent important achievements, we must, on principle, protect the intellectual property rights of those responsible for such innovation. You may be certain that I will continue working with my Senate colleagues to strike a balance between copyright protection and technological advance and that I will keep your concerns in mind should the Senate consider relevant legislation during the 110th Congress.

I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of Texans in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,

JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator

Posted by: Sekhmet 24-Mar-2007, 09:43 PM
...the problem being, copyright infringement isn't the issue here. ::sigh::

Posted by: stevenpd 04-Apr-2007, 01:02 PM
Keep dripping! Now their own industry expert can not say the rate hike is fair.

QUOTE
Chicago Sun-Times

Web radio gets the squeeze

New online station fees threaten to dam the streams

April 1, 2007
BY JIM DeROGATIS Pop Music Critic

As relentless, multi-faceted and scare-mongering as the War on Terror, the music industry's War on Technology rages on, and the latest battlefield is Internet radio.
In recent years, the proliferation of broadband Internet connections allowing for real-time streaming audio has prompted an explosion of online radio stations augmenting what the industry calls "terrestrial radio" -- that is, the old-fashioned AM/FM airwaves. In many cases, Internet radio stations simply duplicate their bigger corporate-radio parents: In Chicago, you can listen to B96 on your car stereo at 96.3-FM, or you can stream it anywhere you can hook up your computer at B96.com. Either way, you get the same CBS/Infinity Broadcasting mix of dance-pop, hip-hop, DJ chatter and advertising.

In other cases, online radio stations provide content that is thoroughly unique: There are stations devoted entirely to Czech polka music, for example, or classical pieces played on oboe. Among the many Internet-only radio stations based in Chicago, BassDrive.com specializes in one very specific underground dance genre, describing itself as "a 24/7 drum-and-bass radio station," while DJ Lloyd Dev's station under the 365.com Internet radio umbrella is devoted entirely to house music, with "mixes from Frankie Knuckles, Lil Louis, Gene Hunt, Steve Silk Hurley and others."

These small online stations would seem to have little in common with the bigger players, which also include names such as Yahoo, AOL and RealNetworks. But a recent ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board, the three-member panel that regulates Internet radio royalties under the aegis of the Library of Congress, substantially increases the amount Webcasters must pay to play music, and many say it will dramatically curtail the number Internet radio stations that can afford to continue broadcasting.

Here's how royalties work for conventional radio: When a station plays a song, a royalty is collected by one of the three big rights organizations -- ASCAP, BMI or SESAC -- which eventually pays the songwriter and the music publisher. The actual performer isn't paid, only the songwriter is: Bob Dylan is paid whenever an AM or FM station airs the Jimi Hendrix recording of "All Along the Watchtower," but the Hendrix estate is not. Seventy-five other countries pay the performer as well as the songwriter, but the United States doesn't, and terrestrial radio stations have long lobbied to maintain this exemption by insisting the performer benefits from exposure and album sales.

When royalties for Internet radio were first set in 1995, that argument wasn't taken into account. The system required online broadcasters to pay the traditional songwriter and publisher royalty to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, in addition to a digital performance royalty split between the performers and the owners of the recording (usually the record label), with fees collected by an organization called SoundExchange.

Until the end of 2005, when the first agreement lapsed, online broadcasters could pay SoundExchange based on either the number of songs they played or the number of hours listeners tuned in, with smaller broadcasters having the option of paying 12 percent of their total revenue -- which could be very little, if the broadcasts were free of advertising.

"Congress apparently made a determination for an interim specified period of time to assist a nascent industry, and that period of time has passed," Chief Copyright Royalty Judge James S. Sledge has said.

Under the new ruling, Sledge and his fellow judges will require Webcasters to pay every time a listener hears a song, at a rate that starts at .08 cent per tune (stretching back retroactively to the start of 2006) and rises to .19 cent in 2010. On top of that, Webcasters have to pay a $500 minimum for every Web channel they operate. (A home broadcaster probably has just one, but companies such as RealNetworks and Pandora have hundreds.)

The effect is a harsh penalizing of Internet radio. By way of comparison, the online news site BetaNews.com noted that on a per-listener scale, broadcast radio stations paid an average of about $1.56 in royalties per listener during 2006. Internet radio sites will be paying $8.91 per listener retroactive to the start of 2006, and that figure will increase to $15.59 per listener by 2008. Webcasters were quick to object to the inequity.

"We would have to provide less choice and less diverse programming," Robert Kimball, senior vice president for business and legal affairs at RealNetworks, told the New York Times. Meanwhile, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, KCRW-FM general manager Ruth Seymour called the ruling "draconian," adding that her station would already owe more than $350,000 and will be faced with curtailing its popular Webcasts if it is forced to pay. The opposition is making for strange bedfellows: Among the organizations appealing the ruling are the commercial radio megalith Clear Channel Communications and non-commercial National Public Radio, which also announced it would turn to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

The fundamental problem seems to be that, as with file-sharing, the old-school music industry doesn't understand the new medium -- at one point in the proceedings, one of the members of the Copyright Royalty Board asked if the term "albums" could refer to CDs as well as vinyl records, according to the transcripts -- and as a result, Webcasting is viewed as a threat rather than a potential asset. If a listener hears a song on Internet radio and likes it, isn't he or she just as likely to buy it as they'd be if they heard it on terrestrial radio?

"I don't know whether Webcasters are replacing sales or enhancing sales," Bruce Iglauer, founder of Chicago's independent blues label Alligator Records, told me last Monday. "Do I think Webcasting sells CDs? I don't know if anything sells CDs now. A lot of articles are saying that CDs are dead, and they're never going to sell again."

Iglauer was one of several music industry experts who testified before the Copyright Royalty Board in favor of the new, higher digital royalty rates -- though he admits he isn't sure whether these are fair or not. "I don't know if we're overcharging digital broadcasters. The last time the rates were set [in 1995], everybody doing Webcasting said, 'This is going to sink us.' Nobody sank; they all continued. Now they're saying, 'This is going to sink us.' Do I think some Webcasters will become discouraged? Yes, it's probable some will."

Although Nielsen SoundScan and other monitors show online sales increasingly dramatically in the last few years, Iglauer says that for Alligator, sales of music via downloads haven't been enough to offset the decrease in sales of CDs.

"Absolutely we're seeing an increase in digital sales -- they went up about 40 percent last year -- but at the rate they're presently going, it will take us 10 years to get back to where we were in 1999. Both financially and in terms of personnel, our company is two-thirds the size it was in 1999."

But is this the fault of new technology, or is it just one of the inevitable twists and turns in the ever-volatile music industry? And if it's the latter, should Webcasters be the ones who are paying?

"What I testified about was the economics of the independent record business, not what would be a fair rate for Webcasters," Iglauer says. "If you ask me what a fair rate would be, I have to say that I don't know."

[email protected]

Posted by: hellknight 05-Apr-2007, 04:49 AM
A question - most, if not all, of those polls, contact options, etc, are US citizen only. Is there anything people like me, who are not from the US, can do in this matter?
I'd hate to see Highlander Radio, and it's colleagues be destroyed by those greedy (insert list of swearwords here) at the RIAA.

Regards,
Hellknight

Posted by: stevenpd 05-Apr-2007, 10:35 AM
QUOTE (sisterknight @ 07-Mar-2007, 06:18 AM)
god forbid it goes through, but can higlander radio come to canada?or scotland?or ireland?or germany?...i mean CR also has international listeners as well....so your gouvernment is cutting off it's nose to spite it's collective face. it's too bad that all those petitions can't be signed by all listeners
sorry, it's just frustrating not really being able to get involved.. sad.gif

Those optioins have / are being looked at by many webcasters as a possible solution. But they are not holding out much hope.

Oh but you can help! Spread the word to everyone you know. Write to the US Ambassador or Consulate in your country. Voice your opinion! Let them know that it is not just an "American" problem. Write to the record labels and the musicians themselves, let your voice be heard.

Posted by: stevenpd 07-Apr-2007, 03:04 PM
Here's a portion of a blog by the Talking Heads frontman, David Byrne. He also just happens to run his own webcast site.

QUOTE
For perspective, on my web radio I get an average of about 40,000 listener hours per month. At present I pay small mechanical royalty fees that go to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC (presumably these dribble down to the artists whose songs I stream); performance royalties that get dispersed via a company called SoundExchange, and a fee to Live 365 for hosting and doing all the paperwork. I pay about $2,000 a month, based on the above listening hours. That’s rent for an apartment for many people (at least in some cities.) I can afford it, I enjoy doing it, and people seem to like it, so it’s OK for me that I’m out of pocket. I do however realize that I am in a special position — not just anyone can afford to start a streaming web radio service if it has this many listeners. If this ruling goes through it’s likely that my costs would go up about 20%, which is not crippling, yet. But one can see where this road leads — the door will have been wedged open. It’s estimated that the per-play rates will put many webcasters out of business, all but the largest and most commercially successful.


Here's the http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2007/04/4107_your_gover.html


We still need to keep dripping!

Posted by: jesstuss 11-Apr-2007, 04:17 PM
I contacted my rep and sent to my entire address book. How many will get it through their spam filters, I don't know tongue.gif but i tried. thumbs_up.gif

Posted by: haynes9 17-Apr-2007, 10:43 AM
This certainly doesn't sound good. Saw this link at Kim Komando's website. We've got to keep dripping!

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/04/17/ap3619663.html

Posted by: Dreamer1 17-Apr-2007, 09:49 PM
I'm still reminding everyone, though I'm afraid some folks are starting to regard it as a nuisance sad.gif
Will keep dripping....

Posted by: haynes9 18-Apr-2007, 12:19 PM
Finally got a response from my congressman, and I've got to say it's pretty lame. Actually, HE can be assured that I will keep him apprised of the situation!

Dear Mr. Haynes:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the proposed rate increase in the royalties payable to performers of recorded works broadcast on the Internet. I appreciate learning your views on the matter.

Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA, P.L. 105-304) in 1998, in part, to help copyright owners protect their exclusive rights against infringement facilitated by digital technologies, including the Internet.

Recently, the Copyright Royalty Board, a three-judge panel established by the DMCA to set digital music royalty rates, decided to recommend a retroactive rate increase for terrestrial stations that also stream music over the Internet. As you are probably aware, Clear Channel Communications, National Public Radio, and several groups representing both large and small for-profit and non-profit companies have asked the Copyright Royalty Board to reconsider its recent decision, fearing the rate hike could signal the end of Internet radio.

This decision is not final, as numerous groups are likely to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. Please be assured that I will remain apprised of the situation and look forward to the Court's decision.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. Please feel free to contact me regarding future issues of importance to you. For further updates on legislation and other federal issues, I invite you to subscribe to the Renzi Report, my monthly e-newsletter, at www.house.gov/renzi.


Posted by: Aaediwen 18-Apr-2007, 03:03 PM
Sounds like what I got back

Posted by: Macfive 18-Apr-2007, 06:06 PM
The appeal has been denied. We have 30 days. More information can be found here:

http://www.savenetradio.org/

This is the central location that a band of listeners. musicians and webcasters are launching the final and last fight. If unsuccessful then its pretty much over and 95% of webcasters will cease to exist.

A few comments I will make. For Highlander Radio we can most likely exist as a completely independent webcaster - we have enough CDs and support from hundreds of musicians to make that happen. It will take some work to get there but I think it can be done. Evenso, our site will continue as we have more than just music here - its a community! - and that spirit will continue.

Now the fall out from all of this will be loss of choice for listeners. It will start with internet radio and then hit upon every major part of the Internet that has made it such a fun ride. I honestly believe that this is not democracy at work, but the greed of men & women wanting more and more profits to line their bank accounts and stock options. It sets a precedence that may be hard to overcome.

The issues go well beyond internet radio. They are sending technology jobs overseas in hordes and now at the same time they are stomping out any sort of creativity that the internet has fostered. In my opinion it is about control, who will control the internet will be the master of the internet and therefore the gatekeeper of the flow and receipt of cash.

It should be noted that other countries will quickly fill the void. What is going to stop broadcasters in Russia or China from setting up shop under more friendly terms. In this global economy this decision will only hurt America.

The other fall is hard to judge. But anywhere from 20,000 - 30,000 webcasters are being shutdown. Your talking people that are very passionate about what they do. Thats alot of angry individuals who are going to proactively fight this decision. That component is unpredictable and I am sure that know one in their plush RIAA office or DC court room has even thought about that piece.

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 18-Apr-2007, 10:08 PM
Sent some of the savenetradio letters off to the reps. You can add to the message of the letter to make it more personal. This internet and especially Highlander radio is the only place in the highlands of Upper Michigan that plays celtic music so keep dripping. Otherwise we will be stuck will sound samples on Amazon for the rest of our lives.

Haynes 9-I know what you mean about the the lame reply. And when they stick their own little ads at the end it makes them sound oh so sincere. I'm surprised they don't have a tip jar linked to their web site.

Posted by: haynes9 18-Apr-2007, 11:05 PM
In response to my congressman's lame reply to my concerns about the
Royalty Board ruling, I sent this letter as a follow up. I did my best to remain respectful, but firm in my demands for some clear cut action. Gotta keep dripping!

Dear Congressman Renzi,

I received you reply with regards to my concerns over the Copyright Royalty Division's decision concerning royalty rates for webcasters. As you know, the Board denied the appeal made by the webcasters to delay implementation of the rates. There were some "tweaks" made, but no long term relief. You are also most likely aware that the appeals process to the courts does not look promising.

Congressman, I have to say that your response was not what I was looking for. It sounded like a standard form letter. My request and/or questions to you are two fold.

1. What is your stand on the issue? I am aware that you will "remain apprised" of the situation, but where do you stand? As a constituent, I do not believe it is unreasonable for you to directly answer this question.

2. Would you be willing to sponsor or help sponsor legislation to block the rate change from being implemented at least until congress can thoroughly examine the situation? Within thirty days, there will be many webcasters who will shut down due to their inability to pay these outrageous rates. Will you or will you not sponsor such legislation?

In few times that I have met you, you have impressed me as a sincere and hard working public servant who has the best interests of his constituents in mind. I would like to think that I was correct in my assessment. I would appreciate direct answers to my concerns and not a form generated letter. I anxiously await your reply.

Respectfully,

Mark J. Haynes
Ganado, Arizona

Posted by: John Clements 19-Apr-2007, 06:50 AM
Hi haynes9, I’m very familiar with those form letter responses, having received many of them over the years. Courtesy is nice, but some times it takes getting into their faces, threats, and even arm twisting, just to be herd, much less to get a response. Sorry to say this, but this seems like one of those situations. Maybe it’s time to start burning tiers in the streets?

JC

Posted by: haynes9 19-Apr-2007, 07:46 AM
QUOTE (John Clements @ 19-Apr-2007, 06:50 AM)
Maybe it’s time to start burning tiers in the streets?


tongue.gif

You know, John, you're scaring me, because I'm just about ready to agree with you!

Actually, I also sent a follow up "snail mail" letter to the congressman. We've met and he knows that I have heartily supported him in the past. There are other issues that are important to me, but he response on this thing had best be more definite than the ridiculous form letter I received. Unfortunately, the majority of people out here on the Rez don't vote, but I do and I do my best (out of the pulpit, mind you) to influence people to vote. We'll see what happens.

Have a great day!

Posted by: Macfive 23-Apr-2007, 07:55 PM
Keep the pressure up!

We are starting to get big media attention and they are calling upon congress to intervene and reverse this culturally asphyxiating decision. Atleast that is what the Seattle Post Intelligencer did recently.

Tuesday May 1st we plan on sending out an email to all Celtic Radio members urging them to sign the online petition at http://saveinternetradio.org and also passing our email on to as many friends, organizations and contacts as possible. The purpose here is not to save just Celtic Radio, but any website, podcast or online streaming music service that plays and caters to Celtic Music. If this ruling stands, it is the end of ALL independent music broadcasters period.

Here is the count down until this law takes effects and you will see thousands of internet radio stations shutdown FOREVER:

The countdown for " Until the Music Dies!" has stopped! The event took place 6162 days ago!

We are thinking on participating in a National Day of Silence of all webcasters. On that day our broadcast will go silent and our website will point towards http://savenetradio.org.

Thanks again for everyones continued help in this matter.

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 23-Apr-2007, 09:45 PM
Mac, is that last link suppose to be different from http://www.savenetradio.org/
link. I signed the petition at this one and sent it off but all I got back from my congressman was a "We get lots of emails and I'll read yours when I get to it" reply. I may have to bring out the big water hose soon.

Posted by: oconnoon 24-Apr-2007, 02:59 AM
I have sent the email to friends to please, please protest this move by government. If this goes through it would be a tragedy. Let's all keep up the good fight!

Clare

Posted by: Macfive 24-Apr-2007, 06:08 PM
QUOTE (Roberto Phoenix @ 23-Apr-2007, 11:45 PM)
Mac, is that last link suppose to be different from http://www.savenetradio.org/
link. I signed the petition at this one and sent it off but all I got back from my congressman was a "We get lots of emails and I'll read yours when I get to it" reply. I may have to bring out the big water hose soon.

What would I do without you all!!

I had the wrong address, not sure how I managed that!

Thanks for mentioning this Roberto and thanks to everyone that has signed the petition!

Posted by: groovyfishguy 27-Apr-2007, 10:14 AM
Great News!!!!!!!!!!!
http://news.com.com/Lawmakers++propose+reversal+of+Net+radio+fee+hikes/2100-1028_3-6179627.html?tag=html.alert.hed

biggrin.gif

Posted by: stevenpd 27-Apr-2007, 10:36 AM
QUOTE (groovyfishguy @ 27-Apr-2007, 09:14 AM)
Great News!!!!!!!!!!!
http://news.com.com/Lawmakers++propose+reversal+of+Net+radio+fee+hikes/2100-1028_3-6179627.html?tag=html.alert.hed

biggrin.gif

QUOTE
The congressmen said they had already received more than 1,000 e-mails and letters opposing the decision.


Keep dripping! We're not out of the woods yet, but we're being heard!

Posted by: Macfive 28-Apr-2007, 03:01 PM
Hold the presses, I have some major news coming on the redirection of this campaign! It is all good news but we need to tell our congressmen to support a new bill that was just introduced to congress. Ill post more details about this soon!

Posted by: gcw57 29-Apr-2007, 01:09 AM
Hi Macfive,

I can't tell you how much I hope it is all good news and that the uprising made a few people take notice! I want to listen to the music here until I'm fat and bald! unsure.gif Uhm, maybe until I'm old.....you know, really, really old!

Many thanks for the crown king.gif at my left. I quite like it really!

Posted by: Macfive 29-Apr-2007, 09:59 AM
Dear Friends,

Keep up the fight, because of your efforts the following message is being posted by the Save Net Radio Coalition!

The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on May 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!). That is why Highlander Radio and CelticRadio.net has joined the Save Net Radio Coalition.

If the increased rates remain unchanged, the majority of webcasters will go bankrupt and silent on this date including Highlander Radio and CelticRadio.net.

Highlander Radio needs your help! H.R. 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act was introduced by Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL ) to save the Internet radio industry. Please call your congressperson to ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060 by clicking below.

CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON NOW TO ASK THEM
TO CO-SPONSOR H.R. 2060, THE INTERNET RADIO EQUALITY ACT.


There is a bill just introduced in Congress that will save Internet radio from the devastating royalty fee increases that will put thousands of Internet webcasters out of business on May 15th. Please call your Representative in Congress as soon as possible and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act.

http://www3.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/callalert/index.tt?alertid=9679516&type=TA


Let's take back our country from the big corporations that want to tell US how we should listen to music, what WE should buy and HOW we should listen to it.

The U.S.A. is for the PEOPLE, not for the CORPORATIONS that are trying to wrestle control of everything. A panel of 3 appointed Judges (backed by the RIAA) have determined what is best for Americans.

Well, I say that Americans know what is best for Americans and that these Judges should go back to their Country Clubs and eat their own cake (and leave us alone).

Let May 15th be the rallying call, not just for Internet Radio - but for all forms of digital media which is flourishing across the internet. From Podcasters, to Independent Musicians to webcasters - We believe in fair rates, legal use of music and the promotion of independent musicans.

Its in the hands of the people now. Either choose a digital future governed by the RIAA or choose a digital future governed by the PEOPLE, for the PEOPLE and by the PEOPLE.

Forward this message on to everyone that loves the U.S.A. and wants to see the people of the U.S. freed from the Greed of the RIAA corporations bent on suing children and grand-parents for copyright violations. Do it now and thanks so much for your support!

Posted by: Macfive 29-Apr-2007, 07:06 PM
Thanks so much for your support!

All I can say to everyone, is if you ever wanted to make a difference please PLEASE call your congressperson and let them know to support this bill.

At this point, emails and letters will be too late. We need to CALL!!! If you visit the SAVE NET RADIO website they have links to your congressperson and also a brief script that you can read to your congressperson. But of course, tell them how you really feel.

WE ARE GOING TO SEND A BIG MESSAGE TO THE RIAA!!!!

Lets do it and over-ride those 3 Copyright Judges who think they can tell you how and where you can listen to the music you want to listen too!


Posted by: haynes9 30-Apr-2007, 07:36 AM
Called this morning and was told that I would be notified as soon as the congressman takes a position on the legislation. Believe me, I will be following up!

Posted by: Killian 30-Apr-2007, 10:36 AM
I just got Through adding My 2 cents .THE FIGHT IS GOING ON NOW.
I urge all of the listers to make there thought known!!!!!!!

We want to save internet Radio

To find information on who to contact and How.

Go to

http://www.savenetradio.org/

Slainte

Killian

Posted by: rhatcher1313 30-Apr-2007, 11:10 AM
I just did same, also, wrote to CRB, also wrote to RIAA, told them I have spent Thousands of $$$ over the years for "legal fees", but, if this passes, no more, told RIAA that i will not purchase their products, or anything that advertises for them. This is absolutely "police -state" type of legislation that has already been passed, if this H.R.2060 does not go, this will only be the start,(or the end), of "free" internet as we know it. Do not delay, or soon, all we will be able to hear is"top 40 hits", not to mention, struggling artists just getting started, where the 'net is their only medium to get their music out to us. So, please, let YOUR voice be heard, there is not much time left.Thanks.
Slainte,
rhatcher1313
PS: go to savenetradio.org to let your voice be heard to YOUR congressman ..

Posted by: trainbow2 30-Apr-2007, 11:46 AM
I just had a quick read of the proposed legislation. There are good "talking points" in H.R. 2060 regarding diversity and foreign language internet programming, as well as impact of fees upon rural areas and communities. In establishing rates, the proposed bill makes a distinction between commercial and non-commercial internet broadcasters, and requires various reports including from public broadcasting. I invite those with a better legal, business or regulatory background to read the text and share with others your sense of why this bill is good. Offhand, to my eye, it seems well thought out and conscientious.

Posted by: Aaediwen 30-Apr-2007, 04:30 PM
When I'm awake I'd need to read it I guess. Right now I have no idea though... what is this actually supposed to do??

Posted by: Macfive 30-Apr-2007, 04:45 PM
I'm going to direct everyone who is passionately following these developments to visit the Internet Radio Newsletter website. Here is the latest news on the Save Net Radio Campaign:

A large group of webcasters, musicians and independent record label execs will convene in Washington D.C. tomorrow for the "Hill walk" organized by the SaveNetRadio.org coalition.

The group has meetings scheduled with Representatives in Congress whom they will meet with to promote the passage of the Internet Radio Equality Act (H.R. 2060).

Also in today's issue, Kurt and Paul respond to SoundExchange's latest press release, which claims that the new bill aimed at saving Internet radio would actually only benefit "mega-corporate webcasters" who are trying to swindle artists out of royalties.

Read more about tomorrow's "Hill walk" in today's new issue of RAIN, available now at http://www.kurthanson.com.

Posted by: Macfive 30-Apr-2007, 05:12 PM
More cause for alarm and yet another reason to support H.R.2060:

"RIAA's affiliate organization SoundExchange claims it has the right to collect royalties for any artist http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/24/141326/870, no matter if they have signed with an RIAA label or not. 'SoundExchange (the RIAA) considers any digital performance of a song as falling under their compulsory license. If any artist records a song, SoundExchange has the right to collect royalties for its performance on Internet radio. Artists can offer to download their music for free, but they cannot offer their songs to Internet radio for free "

http://slashdot.org/articles/07/04/29/0335224.shtml

Posted by: Macfive 30-Apr-2007, 05:44 PM
Here's some stats for you!

Congress has received 400,000!!!!!!!!!! emails and 1 congressman received 1000 phone calls from the Save Net Radio campaign. IN total, 50,000 phone calls in the past 3 days!

I am proud to say that I know that members of Celtic Radio are doing their part. Thanks so much for your support.

Read the encouraging news here:

http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/30/technology/internet_radio/?postversion=2007043012

Posted by: Sekhmet 30-Apr-2007, 11:09 PM
QUOTE
SoundExchange (the RIAA) considers any digital performance of a song as falling under their compulsory license. If any artist records a song, SoundExchange has the right to collect royalties for its performance on Internet radio. Artists can offer to download their music for free, but they cannot offer their songs to Internet radio for free " 


...you're frellin' well kidding me. That HAS to be illegal.

Posted by: Aaediwen 01-May-2007, 03:35 PM
So if I record a song then it can't be played on Internet Radio without the RIAA getting a piece? Ok. who has access to a squadron of B-17s? Let's Haggis bomb the RIAA. And then we'll follow up with rougher tactics if they persist. They don't DESERVE to make money from anything I do.

Posted by: Sekhmet 01-May-2007, 06:50 PM
Then there's no such thing as an independent artist. Just an unsigned one.

Posted by: Macfive 02-May-2007, 07:46 PM
The latest news from the Save Net Radio Coalition:

"In a twist that greatly improves the likelihood that Congress could pass legislation in time to save Internet radio from collapsing under the burden of impossibly-high royalty rates, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), in publishing its determination in the Federal Register yesterday, added one word to their decision that moves the due date for payments under the new rates from May 15th to July 15th."

A high percentage of congresspeople will be co-sponsoring this bill and this additional time will allow for the bill to make its way through congress, the senate and ultimately on the presidents desk!

More good news: "After months if not years of silence, the lobby group for terrestrial radio announced it is coming to the aid of Internet streamers"

Having the powerful NAB on the side of Internet broadcasters is major. It seems that the groundswell of support from listeners is making a difference.

Thanks to everyone on this site that pitched in calling, writing, emailing their senator or congressperson. We are no means out of the woods yet until the bill is passed, but the future is suddenly looking brighter!


Posted by: Sekhmet 03-May-2007, 01:33 PM
::stare:: Terrestrial radio is pitching in? 'Scuse me while I look for the flying pigs outside.

Well, we've got a reprieve, anyway. Keep pluggin', guys.

Posted by: gtrplr 03-May-2007, 06:38 PM
MacFive, I wouldn't have known about this without your e-mail. Thank you.

It's been months since I've had time to listen to CR, but I still hold this site dear to my heart. While I realize that nothing lasts forever, to be forced out by people who care nothing for music, musicians or anything else except their bottom line (yes, I'm talking about you, RIAA) absolutely frosts my bollocks. I have a better chance of becoming our next President than I do of landing a major record label deal. Internet radio is one of the avenues by which I can have my music heard. No, it probably wouldn't be on CR, since I don't have anything Celtic in the works. But as long as there is internet radio, I at least have a shot at having my music heard, and perhaps selling a few downloads or CD's. I may not make a living at it. I may not make a nickel. But somewhere out there in cyberspace is a person who likes my music. I don't know who they are, but they are there. They don't even know they like my music yet. They don't know my name. But through IR, we can come together. They can hear me, I can touch them. Without IR, we both lose.

I plan to call a local talk show in the morning and at least try to broach this subject. If I can make a few people aware of what's happening, maybe one or two will care enough to climb on the bandwagon. If we all do this, maybe we can make enough people care to get the message across to the CRB, the RIAA and everyone else. WE'RE MAD AS HELL AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!

End of rant

Finally, a few quotes:

The revolution starts now. - Steve Earle

America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system and too soon to shoot the bastards. - Claire Wolfe

America was neither founded nor freed by the well-behaved. - Unknown


Posted by: Macfive 06-May-2007, 05:03 PM
Here is an update on where we stand on the Save Net Radio Fight!

The CRB in their rulin changed the date that the new Royalty Payments are due to July 15, 2007! Effectively giving us a 60 day window to get the Internet Radio Equity Act passed!

This is great news because it shows there is alot of pressue on the CRB to not kill Internet Radio.

Last count there was something like 50 congresspeople that are co-sponsoring the bill. It is looking very good right now, but it ain't over until it is over.

Please please call your congressperson and senator to let them know that they should support the Internet Radio Equity Act.

If it passes, then Highlander Radio will be around for a very long time. Thanks!

Posted by: MDF3530 07-May-2007, 02:21 PM
I have emailed my congressman and Senators Durbin and Obama repeatedly on this issue.

Posted by: subhuman 13-May-2007, 02:06 PM
Dang, someone want to dig up a few of my Anti-RIAA rants from about a year ago? tongue.gif
Anyway, for those interested, a link to a PDF version of H.R. 2060:
http://www.house.gov/inslee/docs/pdfs/internet_radio_bill_april_2007.pdf

Aaediwen said:
QUOTE
So if I record a song then it can't be played on Internet Radio without the RIAA getting a piece?


Of course. The RIAA gets a cut of every blank music CD-R sold, too.
What's the difference between a blank data CD-R and a music CD-R? The music one costs more because the RIAA gets a cut of the money. There's no physical difference between them. Similar for blank cassette tapes.
Whether an artist is signed to the RIAA or not, they still generate the RIAA money. Ironicly, you'll be very hard-pressed to find an artist who says that the RIAA makes them money- which is the way it's supposed to work, isn't it?

Posted by: Aaediwen 13-May-2007, 04:20 PM
QUOTE (subhuman @ 13-May-2007, 03:06 PM)

Of course.  The RIAA gets a cut of every blank music CD-R sold, too.
What's the difference between a blank data CD-R and a music CD-R?  The music one costs more because the RIAA gets a cut of the money.  There's no physical difference between them.  Similar for blank cassette tapes.

Ergo, I've never bought a 'Music' CD-R. No point. Data is data. So what if that data just happens to be a linear 16 bit PCM stream at 44.1Khz?

Posted by: Macfive 13-May-2007, 05:18 PM
***BREAKING NEWS***

A Senate counterpart to the Internet Radio Equality Act (H.R. 2060) has just been introduced with bipartisan sponsorship from Senators Ron Wyden (R-OR) and Sam Brownback (R-KS).

The Senate bill arrives on the heels of the House bill that has now garnered over 60 co-sponsors in the short time since it was introduced.

The fight continues and popular support for internet radio is being heard in the halls of Congress and the Senate.

So what shall the RIAA do now? They have proposed that Terrestrial Radio (AM/FM) should now start paying royalty payments to them. For 70 years AM/FM have paid royalties through ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.

If you ask me, I get the feeling that the RIAA have been over-run by a bunch of attorneys. What we need are reasonable people to come to reasonable agreements and not start new battles with AM/FM radio at this point!

It is sad that an organization made to support artists and musicians is actually doing the opposite.

SHIFT HAPPENS! The RIAA needs to embrace the change, not fight it!

Posted by: Senara 14-May-2007, 12:16 PM
dare I say a few more holes have been poked into the dam??? It's amazing to see the progress so far. Just want to thank everyone that has been writing, calling, and expecially want to thank MacFive for keeping us on top of things.

Guinness is on me boys....you just have to get to Wisconsin to claim it!

Posted by: haynes9 15-May-2007, 10:55 AM
There are now 72 cosponsors to H.R. 2060. Seems to be growing everyday! Check this link and see if your representative is one of them. Mine's not, so I'm going to continue to drip! Have a great day everyone!

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d110:2060:./list/bss/d110HR.lst:@@@P

Posted by: Aaediwen 15-May-2007, 03:36 PM
Ben Chandler's on the list! YAAAY!

Posted by: Rindy 16-May-2007, 12:38 PM
YES!!!! Barbara Cubin is on the list. She even took the time to email me about it. thumbs_up.gif

Slainte


Posted by: SaveNetRadio.org 16-May-2007, 05:19 PM
Thank you once again for your support of the SaveNetRadio campaign. As you know, the future of internet radio is in serious jeopardy. Thanks to all your letters and calls to Congressional representatives the “Internet Radio Equality Act ", H.R. 2060, has been co-sponsored by over 70 Representatives in just 2 short weeks!

Now internet radio needs your help again: Due to the amazing momentum of the Internet Radio Equality Act in the House of Representatives, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Sam Brownback of Kansas have introduced a companion bill in the Senate, S. 1353, also named “The Internet Radio Equality Act.”

We ask that you take a moment to now call your Senators to ask them to co-sponsor S. 1353, The Internet Radio Equality Act, introduced by Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Sam Brownback of Kansas.

In addition, if you have not called your representative in the House yet, we ask that you make this call as well to ask your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act, introduced by Rep. Jay Inslee of Washington.

To find the phone numbers for your Senators and for your Congressional representative, as well as talking points for the calls, please visit http://capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/home/ and enter your zip code.

As you can see from the speed at which the House bill is picking up co-sponsors, your phone calls are an extremely effective way to pressure your representatives in Congress to lend their support to internet radio.

Your opinion matters to your representatives, and it matters to us. Without your support these bills could not have been introduced and without your continued support they cannot be passed.

Please visit SaveNetRadio.org to continue following the fight to Save Internet Radio.

Thank you,

The SaveNetRadio Coalition

To donate to the SaveNetRadio campaign please visit https://ssl.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/fundraising/?alertid=9704731&type=FR.
Any amount is greatly appreciated and thanks once again for your support.

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 16-May-2007, 07:35 PM
I see my reps are not on the list. I'm not surprised but I think I will have to bug them again. My last email from the brobdingnagian bards contained a link to the saveinternetradio site so some progress is being made. Anybody thought of emailing some of the political loudmouths like O'Reily or Frankkan or even Howard Stern? We might as well put them to good use for a change.

Posted by: haynes9 17-May-2007, 06:06 AM
84 cosponsors now! Interesting in that this is not a "liberal vs. conservative issue. Denis Kucinich (maybe the most liberal member of congress) and Ron Paul (most conservative) have both signed on to the bill. Keep dripping!

Posted by: subhuman 20-May-2007, 02:52 PM
QUOTE
Ergo, I've never bought a 'Music' CD-R. No point. Data is data. So what if that data just happens to be a linear 16 bit PCM stream at 44.1Khz?

Glad to see you already realize what's going on. I like to bring it up once in a while to try to spread the word to the masses. There's no reason to put extra money in the RIAA's pocket if it gains nothing else.
I have a few grudges against the RIAA, going back a few years. I like to hurt them whenever and whereever I can. They are, IMHO, one of the truly evil organizations on the planet, and they have begun to spread (example, the ARIA- Australian Recording Industry Association).
The problem is thus- these are recording industry associations, or so they call themselves. They are for the labels- and not even all of them, just the big ones. This isn't an artists' association. It's a bunch of lawyers hired by some huge multinational companies whose only agenda is to find some little folk to bully money out of.
It would be like the oil companies hiring mob muscle to go beat up schoolkids and take their lunch money.
The RIAA can't expect internet radio to pay the royalties. They realize that the overwheming majority would shut down, resulting in no additional income for the RIAA. Even if the remaining few do manage to pay, the amounts will be a negligable percentage of the RIAA member organizations' income.

Damn, I went and got started when I promised myself I wouldn't... I'll stop now, even though most of this is only half-formed.

Posted by: j Padraig moore 23-May-2007, 10:57 AM
An interview concerning this situation;

http://www.truthdig.com/interview/item/20070522_save_internet_music/

Posted by: CelticRadio 23-May-2007, 07:53 PM
Well, there seems to be a huge drop in listening numbers over at Live365. I know we need to have the campaign to save net radio, but their business is sure taking a whollup!

A tribute to the members and listeners of Highlander Radio. Because we have such a strong web presence our rank is increasing at Live365. We are now the #1 Celtic Radio station and we are the 88th most popular channel!

Celtic Moon and Celt Rock Radio are increasing listenership in the face of this all.

Way to go members! Thank you so much!

Posted by: CelticRadio 26-May-2007, 03:59 PM
Pay close attention to these two reps: Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Howard Coble (R-NC), Not sure what they are up to, but seems like they maybe sleeping with SoundExchange!


QUOTE
Monday's SoundExchange offer to small webcasters to reauthorize the rates and terms of the Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002 (with some unspecified modifications) was, according to the press release, supposedly spurred by a letter from Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Howard Coble (R-NC), the Chairman and ranking minority member, respectively, of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property (See RAIN coverage here).

Copies of the Berman-Coble letter, apparently released by SoundExchange to various journalists earlier this week and subsequently obtained by RAIN, are surprisingly interesting.

Specifically, of the five-page document, almost four pages are devoted to a defense of the CRB decision! And a careful read of the document reveals that most of the Berman-Coble letter's language almost precisely mimics the verbiage employed by the recording industry -- i.e., on the SoundExchange website and in various other SoundExchange press releases.

In other words, the Berman-Coble letter, oddly enough, primarily argues to SoundExchange SoundExchange's own precise arguments!

The letter also includes a previously-unannounced request by Berman and Coble for SoundExchange to achieve"resolution"... "no later than June 15, 2007" and notes that the writers "plan to advance legislation if we determine that it is the public interest."


Posted by: mingkee 05-Jun-2007, 07:12 PM
this is a shame that US record industry is way too greedy
netradios are not as many as foreign countries
I can listen radio stations (traditional/net only) from UK/Scotland/Ireland/Hong Kong easier than US stations
this is bad to output US information and culture

Posted by: Shadows 14-Jun-2007, 03:34 PM
Here is the response I just recieved from one of my reps in congress...
This should be a clickable link to the full size reply.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x210/walksinshadows/shuster.jpg

Posted by: stevenpd 22-Jun-2007, 05:05 PM
Is Highlander Radio going to participate in the Day of Silence in conjunction with SaveNetRadio.org on Tuesday, june 26?

Posted by: Roberto Phoenix 23-Jun-2007, 08:17 PM
QUOTE (Shadows @ 14-Jun-2007, 03:34 PM)
Here is the response I just recieved from one of my reps in congress...
This should be a clickable link to the full size reply.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x210/walksinshadows/shuster.jpg

Your response was pretty close to the same thing that I got.

Posted by: CelticRadio 24-Jun-2007, 11:27 AM
Yes, we will be participating with the National Day of Silence with our 3 Live365 streams. My understand is that preferred VIP members will hear a short message about the days events, and then be connected to our broadcast.

Standard members will be redirected to a message or show about the Days events.

Posted by: Rindy 26-Jun-2007, 10:44 AM
QUOTE (stevenpd @ 22-Jun-2007, 05:05 PM)
Is Highlander Radio going to participate in the Day of Silence in conjunction with SaveNetRadio.org on Tuesday, june 26?

Today must be the day then...keep writing those people in congress... thumbs_up.gif

Slainte

Posted by: CelticRadio 26-Jun-2007, 08:51 PM
Alot of internet radio sites today went totally silent and even shutdown their websites. Apparently the response was overwhelming to the Congressional servers and phone lines to reps were busy!

QUOTE


A massive response by listeners to today's ongoing "Day of Silence" event has overwhelmed the web and database servers being used by SaveNetRadio.org and is tying up switchboards in Congressional offices all over Capitol Hill as a deluge of online radio listeners have rushed to contact their representatives to ask them to co-sponsor the "Internet Radio Equality Act."

Beginning just before 10AM CT, the SaveNetRadio.org site saw huge numbers of visitors begin to arrive, coming from links set up by webcasters participating in today's event.

Shortly thereafter, the section of the site that lets users look up contact information for their Congressmen and Senators, (powered by Capitol Advantage's CapWiz) was crippled by large numbers of users trying to simultaneously access their reps' information.

According to a representative from SaveNetRadio, "This is by far the biggest one-day load [CapWiz] has ever been hit with, and they are adding servers and moving all available resources ASAP." The website is in the process of revising its home page to ask listeners to try again later this afternoon or tomorrow.

Meanwhile, listeners who do get the contact information for their representatives are having trouble getting through to the offices, as most House  and Senate staff office phone numbers seem to be nonstop busy signals at the moment.



Lets hope this sends a message loud and clear to Congress and our Government!

Posted by: Aaediwen 27-Jun-2007, 03:30 PM
Amen to that! Let's hope they listen to a group big enough to bring 5 seperate systems to their knees at a whim just out of a sheer volume of legitimate traffic.

Posted by: CelticRadio 29-Jun-2007, 04:42 PM
It's not looking to good right now. Read the latest today from the Internet Radio Newsletter:

http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/062907/index.shtml

"Small webcasters intent on keeping Internet radio stations from going out of business best not look to Congress for help. That's the message from a June 28 House of Representatives hearing aimed at resolving a dispute over efforts to increase the royalties paid by Web radio stations to musicians and record labels for spinning their songs..."

In addition, it appears things are getting nasty with a YouTube video and SoundExchange witnesses being harassed. I've stated this in a previous post, but my fear is that the passion, anger and emotion could boil over into something nasty....

The whole idea of SoundExchange and the RIAA is to rid the U.S. of small webcasters and make deals with mid level and high level webcasters. Live365 will probably strike a deal and we will be able to continue.....

But something is definitely lost here without Congress nor the Senate even understanding what the real issues is..........


Posted by: TheCarolinaScotsman 29-Jun-2007, 07:26 PM
If the new rules go forward, could they be challenged in court as unconstitutional under equal protection?

Posted by: CelticRadio 29-Jun-2007, 07:57 PM
QUOTE (TheCarolinaScotsman @ 29-Jun-2007, 09:26 PM)
If the new rules go forward, could they be challenged in court as unconstitutional under equal protection?

Yes, the SaveNetRadio organization is launching this on a number of fronts. There are legal challanges and lawsuits planned.

Who knows, maybe things will turn around - but it seems that the bill requires 50 sponsors in the senate and it only has 4? Not sure of the numbers here.

Congress and the Senate don't want to resolve this issue. As stated by one congressman they want a WIN WIN situation. My understanding is that sometimes leadership requires making the difficult decisions and not taking the middle road.

"Lets just leave everything the same" is a poor and lame excuse.

The purpose of Congress and the Senate should be to foster an environment of innovation and competition with the best interests of the American People - not Corporations.

This is just another piece of America going to the highest bidder. Our elected politicians are creating policies that see jobs by the hundreds of thousands leave the U.S. While we have millions of people living at or below the poverty level in the U.S. - we choose to hire chinese and indians to service our products and build our systems.

If Congress and the Senate do not save Internet Radio, then webcasters in other countries will gladly fill our shoes; and they will have the benefit of laws passed by their countries which support them!




Posted by: Rebecca Ann 30-Jun-2007, 07:55 AM
How do we stop it. Our senators and representatives say they represent us yet are voting against everything good. Their stand on the marriage amendment was we have to think of all our people and making it law that marriage can be between a man and a woman only is forcing jewdao-christian beliefs on all people which we can't in rights do. Our country was founded on God's law. Whenever it has come to a vote for the people most have voted that marriage is between a man and a woman only. There is nothing Jewish-Christian about this because I am finding it in all religions, including so called pagan religions. All people throughout time teach to have life you must have male and female together. It is the same with the abortion law most the people ban partial birth and many want to ban all abortion.
Seems to me our so called representatives are against, not for the people. They want us to do what they want and see and hear only what they want. They want to line their own pockets at the expense of the common people. The American Revalution was fought because of taxation without representation. Now the government has gotten too big, forgot the people and the God our founding fathers knew. They care only about themselves and are taking everything good away from us, replacing it with their politics and greed. How do we fight them? Letters and phone calls don't seem to help much.
I am glad to have Celtic Radio and the few other stations we have. But with high cost of living and taxes, etc. we have no money to spare. We shall lose everything good and uplifting we have just because powers that be want to line their own pockets and not work like we have to. I don't see any of them struggling to put children through school or food on their tables. This is not the way of our founding fathers. There has to be a way we can join together and fight the evil and keep the good even if we haven't money.
RebeccaAnn

Posted by: Shadows 30-Jun-2007, 08:28 AM
Revolution! Thomas Jefferson once said something of the sort ( not a direct quote ) ... a little revolution once in awhile reminds those of who put them in power...

This can come in many forms!
Civil disobedience
boycotts - would it not be nice if we all ignored commercial radio and the adds?
voting the SOB's out of office ,
etc.

Posted by: CelticRadio 05-Jul-2007, 09:33 AM
Here is a response I received from my congressman. I also understand that Senator John Kerry is one of the few senators to sign-on.

QUOTE

Dear Mr. MacArthur :

Thank you for contacting my office regarding H.R. 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act of 2007, introduced by my colleague, Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA).  Please know that I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts on this important issue.

As you may know, the Copyright Royalty Board ("CRB"), a three judge panel that establishes rates and terms for copyright statutory licenses, announced new royalty rates for commercial webcasters, e.g., Internet-based radio stations, on March 9, 2007.  Specifically, the CRB established a new per-song per-listener rate formula, under which commercial webcasters must pay a royalty rate each time a listener hears a song.  Previously, webcasters could pay royalties as a percentage of their earnings, rather than each time a listener hears a song.

H.R. 2060, which has been referred to the House Judiciary and Energy and Commerce Committees, seeks to reverse the Board's determination.  Under the bill, the CRB's ruling would be declared ineffective.  In addition, H.R. 2060 would allow webcasters to satisfy their royalty fees by choosing to pay a percentage of their annual revenue, rather than pursuant to a per-hour, per-listener basis.

Please know that I share your concerns regarding the detrimental impact that the CRB's decision may have on commercial webcasters and particularly, small Internet radio stations, whose royalty rates could increase up to 1,200 percent.  For this reason, I have signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 2060.

Again, thank you for contacting my office.  Please feel free to contact me if you need additional assistance with this or any other issue.



Sincerely,

STEPHEN F. LYNCH

Member of Congress


Posted by: MDF3530 05-Jul-2007, 04:26 PM
I just emailed Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama's and Congressman Dan Lipinski's offices to try and get them on board.

Posted by: MDF3530 07-Jul-2007, 10:36 AM
Here's an email I received from Senator Obama's office:

QUOTE
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Copyright Royalty Board’s rate increase decision and its effect on small webcasters. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this issue.

The royalty rate for webcasters has proven to be a controversial subject, with small webcasters hoping to become viable, competitive alternatives to large commercial radio stations. As you know, many of these small webcasters offer a variety of music unavailable to a wide audience through other sources.

Regulations set by the enactment of the Small Webcasters Settlement Act of 2002, which favored small webcasters, recently expired and the regulations had to be revisited. As you are aware, in March, 2007, the Copyright Royalty Board issued its decision, which establishes new rates for commercial and noncommercial webcasters. The Board considered the comments of small commercial and non-commercial webcasters, who sought continuation of a fee based solely according to revenue. Ultimately, the Board rejected this benefit for small webcasters, opting instead for a flat-rate fee and a per song per listener basis. When making this decision, the Board cited the difficulty of distinguishing small and large webcasters, as well as their own lack of statutory authority to carve out royalty rate niches for the emergent business models promoted by small webcasters.

The Internet Radio Equality Act (S. 1353), introduced in the Senate on May 10, 2007, would reverse the decision by the Copyright Royalty Board. This legislation is currently being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee. While I am not a member of this committee, I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind when it comes to the Senate floor for a vote.

Again, thank you for raising this issue with me. Please stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

Posted by: CelticRadio 07-Jul-2007, 08:49 PM
Thanks for your support Mike! The senate is were we really need to get more support.

Calling just your congress-person is not enough. You have to also contact your senator.

I certainly hope that they don't forget about the little webcasters - like CelticRadio.net - its one thing if Yahoo, Live365, Pandora and the other medium and large webcasters get a break.

But the small webcaster does not have the resources nor the support to be heard much.

We are about 7 days away from July 15th - this is the deadline when the retro-active payments and increased royalties take place.

I honestly don't know what is going to happen on that date.

Posted by: MDF3530 08-Jul-2007, 06:32 PM
To contact your Senators, click this URL:

http://www.senate.gov/

In the top right corner, go to the drop down menu that says "find your Senators" and select your state.

Posted by: CelticRadio 09-Jul-2007, 06:06 PM
We just wanted to say THANKYOU! to everyone that has called or written their Congressperson and Senator.

Our best effort has been put forth, it is now in the hands of Congress, the Senate and ultimately the President.

Posted by: haynes9 11-Jul-2007, 03:26 PM
Got this email today and was, needless to say, disappointed.

Mr. Haynes,

I contacted our legislative department in regards to the Internet Radio Equality Act. They informed me that the rates will take effect on Sunday, and the bill is unlikely to make it to the floor for a vote before then. Congressman Renzi is aware of the issue, and because the Leadership expressed their intent not to bring the bill out of committee and to the floor for a vote, he didn't take any action on it.

Although it is unlikely that there will be any action taken in Congress, there is a possibility that the issue can be resolved out of Congress. It would include action from either the Federal Communications Committee.

If you have any other questions on this issue, please feel free to email or call me.

Have a great afternoon.

Chelsea Lett
Congressional Liaison
Congressman Rick Renzi (AZ-1)

The so caled Leadership apparently could care less about the Webcasting industry!

Posted by: SaveNetRadio.org 12-Jul-2007, 04:50 AM
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED FOR THURSDAY, JULY 12TH

Greetings,

Time and options are running out for Internet Radio. Late this afternoon, the court DENIED the emergency stay sought on behalf of webcasters, millions of listeners and the artists and music they support.

UNLESS CONGRESS ACTS BY JULY 15th, the new ruinous royalty rates will be going into effect on Sunday, threatening the future of all internet radio.

We are appealing to the millions of Internet radio listeners out there, the webcasters they support and the artists and labels we treasure to rise up and make your voices heard again before this vibrant medium is silenced. Even if you have already called, we need you to call again.

The situation is grave, but that makes the message all the simpler and more serious.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES RIGHT AWAY and urge them to support the Internet Equality Act. Go to http://www.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/alert_9738601.html to find the phone numbers of your Senators and Representative.

If they've already co-sponsored, thank them and tell them to fight to bring the bill to the floor for an immediate vote. If the line is busy, please call back. Call until you know your voice has been heard.

Your voices are what have gotten us this far - Congress has listened. Now, they are our only hope.

We are outmatched by lobbying power and money but we are NOT outmatched by facts and passion and the power of our voices.

Again, please go to http://www.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/alert_9738601.html to find the necessary phone numbers and make the call today.

Thank you,

The SaveNetRadio Campaign

Posted by: CelticRadio 12-Jul-2007, 01:40 PM
The court of appeals has denied our emergency stay. I urge everyone to please contact their senator and congressperson today using this link:

http://www.savenetradio.org/index.html

Tell them to bring immediately to the floor a vote on the Internet Radio Equity Act.

Even if you have already called, please call again. We need to urge a vote on the floor. If this does not happen, then chances are it will be all over..........

As far as Celtic Radio is concerned, this could include ceasing our broadcast and closing down our site. I have not made that decision yet, but if broadcast fees are over our budget then we will need to close up shop and end the wonderful music of Highlander Radio...........

I have contact all 2 of my senators - Senator Kerry and Senator Kennedy today. I have also contacted Rep. Stephen Lynch office and spoke at length.

All three listen to my story of Celtic Radio and I asked that they support the Internet Radio Equality Act.

When I called this last time I spoke from the heart and threw away the script. I think Rep. Lynch's office was the most receptitive. The girl I spoke too stated she was going to pass this information on to Rep. Lynch.

Posted by: MDF3530 12-Jul-2007, 02:32 PM
I've contacted Senators Durbin and Obama!

Posted by: CelticRadio 12-Jul-2007, 04:16 PM
The Chairman of the House Commerce Committee has summoned representatives from the webcasting and recording industries.

Within the hour, the group will meet in attempt to broker a settlement that would relieve webcasters from the devastating royalty rates set to go into effect on Sunday.

Will keep you informed of any breakin updates as we receive them. We are definitely on a roller-coaster ride.

Everyone must continue to call their Congressperson. Keep calling and you can call more than once to tell them to put this to a vote on the floor of congress.

Posted by: Aaediwen 12-Jul-2007, 05:12 PM
I'm not going to let myself get started on a rant!

Posted by: Sekhmet 12-Jul-2007, 06:15 PM
Dear gods. Start prayin' kids....looks like we need it.

Posted by: Patch 12-Jul-2007, 06:39 PM
I have contacted my representative at least 4 times and did so again tonight. He will have it first thing in the morning. I doubt this started in the community of Celtic musicians but all will have to suffer. GOOD LUCK with the negotiations.

Slaěnte   

Patch

Posted by: Lady Jeanetta 12-Jul-2007, 06:57 PM
Saying a prayer and phoning my reps... Don't know what good it'll do, but I'm certainly not going to go quietly.

Posted by: CelticRadio 12-Jul-2007, 07:35 PM
The realization about it all finally hit me today. I have been putting off coming to terms with the magnitude of the royalty increase. Certainly Live365 will need to increase their broadcast fees to something that is complete outrageous and out of our small budget.

Please have your friends, family call and focus on Congress. That is what we are being told to focus our efforts on.

Like I said, I threw away the script and told them about Celtic Radio. The hundreds of artists, the music that is not heard on local stations, the economics of us spending money on hardware, postage, shirts, software and graphics - we do contribute to the economy!

They seemed extremely interested in the fact of "Single Owned" webcasters like myself. If you do call, please stress to them that Celtic Radio is a small webcaster and needs the protection of the Internet Radio Equality Act.

As always I thank each and everyone one of your for your support!


Posted by: CelticRadio 12-Jul-2007, 08:00 PM
Congressman Inslee Goes to the Floor for Internet Radio


Internet Radio Equality Act Original Cosponsor Speaks on Behalf of Legislation and
Webcasters Everywhere


WASHINGTON D.C. – Last night, Congressman Jay Inslee (WA-01), original cosponsor of the Internet Radio Equality Act, spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of his bill. He called on Congress to “fix this problem” and pledged to keep working toward a viable and fair solution.

Read the Full Text of Congressman Jay Inslee's speech:

http://www.savenetradio.org/press_room/press_releases/070711-inslee.pdf

Posted by: CelticRadio 12-Jul-2007, 08:13 PM
Please see other posts below - we are not out of the woods yet

I have just been informed that SOUNDEXCHANGE WILL NOT ENFORCE THE NEW ROYALTY RATES!!! This is the message that I am hearing about the special meeting today at Congress.

This is unbelievable news - the Copyright Board has been completely cut out of the picture.

This is a DIRECT RESULT OF YOUR CALLS! Thankyou all!

A complete reversal of what SoundExchange was stating at 5:00 today:
http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/07/breaking-news-o.html

But don't stop, we still have to keep calling and expressing our views to Congresspeople. We have to have the Internet Radio Equalty Act passed so we never have to do this again.

I think the shipwreck of July15th has been avoided - but I will wait until I hear the full details.

Look at that, and people say the American people don't get politically involve and make a difference. Heck, we are all making a difference with each and every letter and call.

Just think what other issues we could effect with this type of political activness!!

Posted by: haynes9 12-Jul-2007, 08:38 PM
Great news, Paul, and great going everyone! Let's not slack up now. Good stuff!

Posted by: rhatcher1313 12-Jul-2007, 08:43 PM
Excellent News !!! Don't forget, keep calling & writing to your congressmen, We have to have The Internet Radio Equality act passed. I have sent numerous letters & calls, will keep doing same... clap.gif

Posted by: CelticRadio 12-Jul-2007, 09:00 PM
I agree - we need to keep calling - the Internet Radio Equality Act needs to be passed. This will allow Celtic Radio to grow in the future. At 7.5% of profit it opens the door to many opportunities for us.

But let me be clear - we must tell our congresspeople that this is for small webcasters - they should focus their efforts on small webcasters and not medium to large webcaster such as Yahoo, AOL or MSN.

Here is the first news article I have found that you might be interested in reading. There are alot of response to this article. Scroll down to see them!

http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/07/breaking-news-o.html

thumbs_up.gif

beer_mug.gif

Posted by: Sekhmet 12-Jul-2007, 09:01 PM
I'm uncorking the chablis. Hot damn!

Posted by: merle 12-Jul-2007, 09:25 PM
Holy Jesus! laugh.gif

Posted by: Robert Phoenix 12-Jul-2007, 09:26 PM
Too late at night to call now but I'll get tomorrow for sure-again. Remember this is Michigan reps are pretty slow on things.
Breaking out the mead anyway!

Posted by: Rindy 12-Jul-2007, 09:40 PM
This is just FANTASTIC!!!! I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders..I can't imagine how you feel Celtic Radio.....YES... I can't believe it...WOO HOO! thumbs_up.gif

Slainte

Posted by: mingkee 12-Jul-2007, 10:12 PM
this is pretty important to "export" music to the world
royalty increase only brings multi-loss, and we (Americans) can only listen webcast from overseas, not US
it is also not good for record industry
we need to learn from Chinese Proverb
Greediness leads to Proverty (in Chinese, Greediness and Poverty looks alike in shape)

Posted by: Drothgord 12-Jul-2007, 10:44 PM
Ah that's good news people! smile.gif
It would have been a great loss even for us non-americans, because there are so many great internet radios in america. Highlander radio for example.

Posted by: groovyfishguy 13-Jul-2007, 12:39 AM
woot!!! beer_mug.gif

Posted by: bigjimhainey 13-Jul-2007, 12:42 AM
Thats great news, ive been following this mess and was afraid that it was gonna turn out for the worse. of course its not over untill something permanent is set in stone, but for now we get to listen to our music for a while longer. thumbs_up.gif

Posted by: CelticRadio 13-Jul-2007, 04:40 AM
Yes, it is not over until its over and SoundExchange might try to pull something that is up their sleeve.

Some updates I have received is that this is only for Webcasters that were part of the Copyright Royalty hearings. We will have to wait today and see what comes of this, so please everyone keep calling your congress person.

Make sure to express that while the bigs boys like Live365, Yahoo, AOL have the power to negotiate with SoundExchange, the little single owned webcaster - which there are thousands - does not have that ability.

Still, since we use Live365 to broadcast we can continue after July 15th. Will monitor this situation closely!


Posted by: mistymtn 13-Jul-2007, 06:00 AM
Yes, but where does Sen. Corker of Tennessee stand on this issue???


July 11, 2007



Dear Sir:

Thank you for taking the time to contact my office with your concerns about S. 1353, the Internet Radio Equality Act of 2007. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

As you know, decisions regarding music royalty rates are determined by three judges appointed to the Copyright Royalty Board. S. 1353 would nullify the determinations of the Copyright Royalty Judges with respect to webcasting. Currently S. 1353 is being reviewed in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Should this bill come before the full Senate, I will certainly take your concerns into consideration.

Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me over the next six years.

Sincerely,

Bob Corker

United States Senator

Posted by: Dreamer1 13-Jul-2007, 07:47 AM
This is really wonderful news , and an answer to many prayers!!!

My brother and both sisters have been joining me, hounding all our reps and senators about this - that's Ohio, Virginia, and Massachusetts. I've been making a nuisance of myself on other forums reminding everyone about the impending silence of internet radio, and now I can happily show that we can all still have an effect on things that seem too large to change!

Thank you Paul and Killian for all that you have done, and continue to do!!!

Posted by: frozenrose97 13-Jul-2007, 08:27 AM
Hi everyone, I just want to say it would be a real shame for this online radio to be shut down. I've always had trouble finding new celtic groups, and this is a place I can really find the great celtic music I'm looking for. It's a great thing that I would hate for us to lose. Best of luck in saving the station and thank you for everything you've been.

Posted by: patternweaver 13-Jul-2007, 08:35 AM
Got an excellent response from the office of Rep. Olver (Western MA). He is a co-sponser. Bill still in committee (unfortunately not one he is on). Fully supports the Bill. Sen. Kerry supports the bill as per a casual response from his office and Sen. Kennedy is still thinking about it. Keep calling. Senators who are "still thinking about it" need to hear that their constituants want them to support it. Phone calls work MUCH better than e-mails.

Posted by: dundee 13-Jul-2007, 08:53 AM
called senator herb kohl (ehhhh) sleep.gif
senator russ fiengold (shudder) dry.gif
and congressman paul ryan (my hero) biggrin.gif

made my request known unfortunately none of them have
made a statement on the issue yet... but i have...........

happy to hear the "For Now" news..... thumbs_up.gif


thanks again for your hard work paul and killian... note.gif

Posted by: Tourmaline 13-Jul-2007, 11:00 AM
WOOOO! Not out of the woods yet, but at least there's some light at the end of the tunnel.

Contacted Rep. Gallegly a while ago and got a form letter back. Hey, at least it was a response, eh? Time to ring up Senators Boxer and Feinstein...

Posted by: Rebecca Ann 13-Jul-2007, 12:50 PM
I wrote to my senators and representative not that it will do much good. I've written them many times in the past. They seem to be anti-family, pro-gays, anti-religion, pro drug addicts, alcoholics, illegals, etc. They seem to be against everything good and uplifting that doesn't support their agenda. All I know to do is pray for them that somehow their hearts will be softened and they can see the good that is in this world and fight for it. I pray that we can keep our station and family here and the rule makers will hear our plies and see the good that is wrought here.
RebeccaAnn

Posted by: Patch 13-Jul-2007, 03:04 PM
The powers that are pushing this should realize that listening to Celtic Radio has sold me a LOT of Celdic CD's and tapes. If I like something I try to add it to my music collection.

Slaěnte    

Patch

Posted by: dundee 13-Jul-2007, 03:43 PM
QUOTE (Tourmaline @ 13-Jul-2007, 12:00 PM)
Time to ring up Senators Boxer and Feinstein...

ewww and i though Fiengold was scary.... laugh.gif

Posted by: Aaediwen 13-Jul-2007, 04:04 PM
I had to leave work as soon as I got there this morning because I broke down over this. Man what a roller coaster ride! I am definitely glad to hear that there is hope that the damage won't already be done by the time proper laws can be on the books! I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on this mess!

I have been hoping that God would intervene to save us. This is promising. Let's keep the fire hot!

Posted by: John Clements 13-Jul-2007, 04:15 PM
It’s so nice to hear some good new for a change.

Posted by: CelticRadio 13-Jul-2007, 06:56 PM
Artists Raise Their Voices in Support of Net Radio Legislation Hundreds of Small and Independent Artists Call on Congress to Enact Internet Radio Equality Act and Save Internet Radio


Hundreds of small and independent artists called on Congress to pass the Internet Radio Equality Act before the July 15th due date of recently increased recording royalty fees for webcasters. According to the SaveNetRadio coalition, more than 650 artists, representing dozens of genres from throughout the country, have written a letter to Congressman Howard Berman -- Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property Chairman asking for his "leadership and support to help save diversity and music on the Internet."

The Roots Music Association, a member of the SaveNetRadio coalition, which represents over 2000 independent artists, released the following statement: "we are very pleased, but certainly not surprised to see such an extensive and diverse group of artists come forward in support of the Internet Radio Equality Act.

Read more.........

http://webcast.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=160332

Posted by: mingkee 13-Jul-2007, 07:10 PM
something you need to realize
NPR is also threatened, and the foreign radios may get affected too
if so, they may boycott all American music, then RIAA and US record industry will be a big loser

Posted by: CelticRadio 13-Jul-2007, 07:47 PM
The outpouring from everyone has just been truly amazing. In the last 24 hours we have received so many emails from listeners and musicians alike. Alot of musicians that we play want to know what they need to do so we can stay online and keep playing their music!

I am proud to say that Celtic Radio listeners and members are some of the most outspoken, intelligent and compassionate lot of people I have ever seen in an online community! We are certainly indebted to your efforts to help us, help Celtic musicians and change music history!

Since June 26th, over 1 million people have contacted their congressperson or senator through email, letter and phone. That is an unbelievable outpouring - and one which congress can not ignore. That is the only reason why Soundexchange (RIAA) is even listening.

Hopefully momentum is building to pass the Internet Radio Equality Act. This sets royalty payments on par with Satellite Radio at around 7.5% of profit. Now remember that AM/FM radio pays 0% in royalty payments.

http://www.house.gov/inslee/multimedia/video/internet_radio_day_of_silence_06.26.07.wmv

Yesterday was an unbelievable rollercoaster. Given all of the facts, news and information gathered I was ready to call it quits or atleast accept that it was truly the end of Celtic Radio coming very soon.

About 2 hours later I could not believe what I was reading, that Congress was forcing a meeting with Webcasters and Soundexchange. And then when the results broke I was convinced by the article that Internet Radio had been saved only to find later that this might have been a little premature. Still everything is looking promising and everyone needs to know that your calls, emails and letters are making a difference. Every single one!

We will keep a close eye on th current progress of this grassroots campaign at http://savenetradio.org. If anything major happens we will be sure to post it here.

Again, our heart felt thanks to everyone!



Posted by: mingkee 13-Jul-2007, 08:21 PM
not only internet radio saved, NPR stations are also saved!!!
Long Live net broadcasters and NPR!!!

Posted by: CelticRadio 13-Jul-2007, 09:15 PM
QUOTE (mingkee @ 13-Jul-2007, 10:21 PM)
not only internet radio saved, NPR stations are also saved!!!
Long Live net broadcasters and NPR!!!

I agree with you! This effects all of Internet Radio and we are saving alot of music listening channels across the whole spectrum.

NPR stations are very important to save.

Posted by: Irishmusiclover 14-Jul-2007, 09:08 AM




I'm so relieved! I thought I was gonna have to endure Celtic music withdrawals! clap.gif beer.gif

Posted by: TandVh 14-Jul-2007, 02:27 PM
Thank you so much for the hard work and dedication you have put forth to educate us and keep us informed as to the progress of this idiotic, evil endeavor to rip off the American people in yet another venue of free speech!


Posted by: Tassiecelt 14-Jul-2007, 08:24 PM
An an international listener I'm joined up and added my name, hope it will help a wee bit.

Posted by: gcw57 15-Jul-2007, 01:37 AM
I am going to continue to wish, hope and pray that sanity will win out in this stupid battle. I may not have congressmen here in Canada, but I assure you that my thoughts have been made known through emails, petitions and contacting all the Americans I know to help. Outside the US we have virtually no voice in this, but we have just as much to lose.

walkman.gif Celtic Radio has been a wonderful addition (or is that addiction?) to my world and I truly thank Paul for his hard work in keeping us informed and I thank everyone who has taken the time to contact their representatives on this issue. Listeners from around the world are supporting you to the best of our abilities.

Believe in victory!

Posted by: Monarchs Own 15-Jul-2007, 06:05 AM
so far so good - now let's hope those idiots don't find another way to get what they want.

They should have seen after this - that every voice counts and can make an effort!


Posted by: MacEoghainn 15-Jul-2007, 08:09 AM
Despite the apparent reprieve I still half expected to tune into Highlander Radio and hear:

"I can't remember if I cried..........

But something touched me deep inside,
The day the music died."

from "American Pie" by Don McLean

being played over and over and over again. sad.gif

Posted by: Senara 15-Jul-2007, 08:16 AM
Still in the process of wording another heartfelt letter to my congressmen, hopefully my additional plea will help matters some.

Found a quote I think you may all like to use in your correspondence.



“Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it.”

John Lennon



Fight on my brothers and sisters! We shall win the battle yet!

Posted by: pretentiouswombat 15-Jul-2007, 12:23 PM
I contacted my two senators via email last week with no problem but couldn't get to my congressman because there was some glitch in the website. I've contacted him previously on this subject so I felt that he had at least heard from me recently on it. I haven't received personalized responses but will let y'all know when I do.

I can tell you that it was with much trepidation that I logged onto live365 just now. I wondered if I was going to see a R.I.P. message. Thanks the heavens that y'all are still there - at least for now. I feel as though we are fighting this fight one day at a time.

I'll be hanging in there and waiting for news.

wink.gif

Posted by: CelticRadio 15-Jul-2007, 06:59 PM
We received a very nice email today from the front office of Wolfstone. In addition to fully supporting our efforts and U.S. Internet Radio they sent this message to everyone:

"All the very best for the future and say a big hello to all your listeners from Wolfstone and hope to see them all when the band tour in the US of A again next year."

We will be monitoring the news this week and see what turns up. Thanks for everyones continued efforts.

Posted by: Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas 16-Jul-2007, 06:10 AM
Well done, everyone, especially Paul!
We all need to keep in mind the worods of Yogi Berra: "It's not over until it's over." and keep up the good fight until Congress does the right thing.

Posted by: Irishmusiclover 16-Jul-2007, 10:55 AM


We sure do and we sure will

Posted by: CelticRose 16-Jul-2007, 03:03 PM
Despite my lack of comments in this thread, I have been trying to save internet radio in my own way. I have contacted my senator twice....I too went off script! I have had a problem contacting my congessmen for some reason...probably my fault in not doing something right.

anyway, I went to more desperate measures and contacted a friend of mine who is one of the producers of a Tucson news stations and I asked him if he would address this problem and make it known to all out there so more people would be aware on this crisis! I have another friend whose husband who is a newscaster and going to contact her now and see if they can try and help us out and spread the word.

You know? I am so stupid. I thought this affected internet radio only, which I have done my part to save. but I guess I didn't realize it could possibly shut the whole forum down! My gosh! It hit me today and I am in a panic and sick mode at this time. So will do what I can, even more!

God save us!

edited due to spelling and other sentence errors!

Posted by: Robert Phoenix 16-Jul-2007, 07:30 PM
Even though I can't listen to HR at the moment I really dread the thought of the forum not even being here. Even more the thought of absoulutly no access to Celtic music aside from sound samples at Amazon. Its still a wonderful place for ideas and music sugestions even if the free player doesn't work right now on my computer. I wouldn't have heard of many of the bands I've come to know and love if it wasn't for this service despite the fact that I try to keep up with the celtic music scene as much as possible. And I can imagine its the same for people who love all the other types of music found on the Live 365 and the rest of the net. I grew tired of the top 40 reregergitated stuff they play on regular radio along time ago and I reallly don't care to have to listen to it again. So keep up the fight people. Its us lonely small communities and people on the edge of nowherewith one one or two top 40 stations and who have no other musical alternatives that you are fighting for.

Posted by: Robert Phoenix 29-Jul-2007, 08:30 PM
Got the email/newsletter today that states we are still in the game while they work things out.
to quote: Internet Radio has been given a stay while Congress, Webcasters and Soundexchange work out a compromise. This is a direct result of the millions of listeners, webcasters and musicians calling their representatives. All we can say is thank you very much and keep the good fight going. Your calls have made a difference!

Still not out of the woods but at least there is some light coming through the treetops. Keep calling

Posted by: CelticRadio 04-Aug-2007, 08:19 PM
Barring "great progress" in negotiations between webcasters and the recording industry by Labor Day, two prominent senators announced yesterday that they will take "expeditious steps" towards the passage of the Internet Radio Equality Act.

Sounds like congress and the senate are getting fed up with the RIAA and Soundexchange.

Passage of the Internet Radio Equality Act will allow small webcasters to continue to stream - either through a service like Live365 or on their own!

Posted by: stevenpd 08-Aug-2007, 09:25 AM
Keep on dripping!

QUOTE
News Release. . .

United States Senate

For Immediate Release:
August 2, 2007
CONTACT: Jennifer Hoelzer (Wyden): 202-224-3789

Wyden, Brownback Call CRB Rates for Webcasters “Unfounded”

Promise to move forward with “Internet Radio Equality Act” unless progress is made by Labor Day

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan), Senate sponsors of the “Internet Radio Equality Act” released the following statement today regarding efforts to save Internet radio:

“We sponsored the Internet Radio Equality Act because the Copyright Royalty Board’s decision to dramatically increase royalties and apply what we see as unfounded minimum rates threatens to devastate the Internet radio industry. The fact is online radio services do not have enough revenue to support what will amount to unprecedented royalties. The $500 per channel minimum fee alone will deliver an over $1 billion annual windfall to record companies, a windfall that is not justified by any business or equity considerations.

“Now we are hearing that the recording industry is attempting to use this aspect of the CRB decision to force webcasters to adopt recording restrictions far in excess of the controls that have governed broadcast content for decades. While we strongly support a negotiated solution, we will not allow the minimum fee issue to be used to force an agreement that mandates DRM technology and fails to respect the established principles of fair use and consumer rights.

“After the July 15 deadline came and went we were pleased to learn that SoundExchange was negotiating with webcasters, and we expected to avoid pushing forward with this legislation. But, as Congress heads into its August recess, we are troubled by the lack of negotiating progress being reported. Broadcasters report that their June 6 offer to SoundExchange has yet to warrant a response, and webcasters report that negotiating meetings with SoundExchange are proving difficult to schedule.

“Internet radio is crucial to many segments of business and culture – to small and large webcasters building sustainable businesses; to independent artists trying to make it in a crowded industry; and to millions of music fans searching for new diverse music that corporate radio generally does not offer. Innovation and creativity are the winners if Internet radio flourishes, and are the losers if Internet radio stagnates.

“If great progress toward a fair solution for webcasters is not made by Congress’s return to Washington after Labor Day, then we plan to take expeditious steps toward passage of the Internet Radio Equality Act. We feel the Senate must take action, and we will make every effort move the Internet Radio Equality Act to the floor.”

Posted by: MDF3530 24-Sep-2007, 07:19 PM
Just got this from Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) (apparently his aides don't check their email inboxes too often):

QUOTE


Thank you for contacting me regarding the increase in royalty rates for webcasters. I appreciate hearing from you.

In 2002, Congress passed the Small Webcasters Settlement Act (SWSA), which allowed small webcasters to pay royalties based on a percentage of revenue rather than on a per-song, per-listener basis. The royalty rates established in this legislation, however, were only effective through 2005.

Shortly after the expiration of SWSA, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) announced new royalty rates, effective until December 31, 2010, that required small webcasters to again pay on a per-song, per-listener basis. Despite opposition from the Digital Media Association, National Public Radio, and others, these rates went into effect on July 15, 2007.

During the last several months, the CRB has been negotiating with webcasters in an attempt to reconcile their differences and establish royalty rates that are both fair and legal.

In addition, the Internet Radio Equality Act of 2007 (S. 1353) was introduced on May 10, 2007. This measure would nullify the new royalty rates and also would change the standards for determining "reasonable" rates and terms for royalties. Supporters of this bill believe it would protect the viability of small webcasters, who often see their programming as a public service broadcasting and who expand the diversity of music available on the web. Opponents claim that the CRB ruling was fair and took into consideration the best interests of all parties involved.

This legislation has been referred to the Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member. I will keep your thoughts in mind as the committee considers this issue.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. Please feel free to keep in touch.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

Posted by: CelticRadio 12-Nov-2007, 08:27 PM
QUOTE (patternweaver @ 13-Jul-2007, 09:35 AM)
Got an excellent response from the office of Rep. Olver (Western MA). He is a co-sponser. Bill still in committee (unfortunately not one he is on). Fully supports the Bill. Sen. Kerry supports the bill as per a casual response from his office and Sen. Kennedy is still thinking about it. Keep calling. Senators who are "still thinking about it" need to hear that their constituants want them to support it. Phone calls work MUCH better than e-mails.

My thanks for David MacRae's unwavering support of Celtic Radio and for internet radio while he was here on this earthly world. Unfortunately, we learned tonight that Patterweaver had a massive stroke and has passed on.

Our prayers and sympathy go out to his family.

Posted by: haynes9 12-Nov-2007, 08:49 PM
Thanks for letting us know, Paul. We will sure keep the family in prayer.

Posted by: gcw57 12-Nov-2007, 11:38 PM
David McRae sounds like a fine man who was willing to back his beliefs with hard work. It's always a sad day when we lose more of the good people.

As a Canadian, there is little that I can do to convince senators, congressmen or other government people because I don't vote in the US - though I have dropped a few notes to influential Americans.

I applaud David and others who have done so much to save internet radio. May his efforts lead to success and may he be an inspiration to others. I will be pleased to remember him, and his family & friends, in prayer.

Posted by: CelticRadio 14-May-2008, 06:31 PM
We have not had an update on the Internet Radio issues in a while, but it is rearing its ugly head again!

Here is an update from Live365 about the current issues and what you can do to help:

Dear SaveNetRadio supporter,

It has been a year since an increase in royalty fees for webcasters put the future of Internet radio at risk. Since then, more than 2 million people have called on Congress to save Internet radio, the Internet Radio Equality Act has been cosponsored by 150 Members of Congress, and a hearing was held in the House Small Business Committee. In spite of all this - nothing has changed. We need your help.

On Thursday May 15, Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas will introduce the Internet Radio Equality Act (IREA) as an amendment to the Orphan Works Bill (S. 2913) while it is being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee . As you know, the IREA would level the playing field for Internet radio webcasters and promote greater parity within the radio industry, while doing away with the discrimination that now forces webcasters to pay fees more than twice as high as their closest competition, cable and satellite radio.

You can help. At least one of your Senators is a Member of the Judiciary Committee and we need their support. Call them today and ask them to support independent artists, small businesses, and the future of Internet radio. You can find their phone number and talking points here: http://www.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/alert_9738601.html. Ask your Senator to support the Brownback Amendment to S. 2913.

We need your help to remind Congress that though Internet radio is still on the air and artists are still being paid for their work by webcasters, nothing has been resolved and we need them to act.

On behalf of webcasters, artists and fellow Internet radio listeners everywhere, thank you. Let's finish what we started a year ago.

Posted by: CelticRadio 31-Jul-2008, 06:55 PM
After a who year has gone by, we are finally seeing some results. Please read the Radio and Internet Newsletter for the latest news about Senate hearings which appear to be going the Webcasters way:

http://textpattern.kurthanson.com/articles/446/rain-731-hanson-optimistic-following-hearing-oxenford-sees-glimmer-of-hope

Posted by: ogdenmusic 05-Oct-2008, 10:17 AM
Oct. 1, 2008

Senate Approves Webcaster Settlement Act

Solution for Webcasters May Be Nearing

WASHINGTON D.C. – Legislation authorizing SoundExchange to negotiate royalty agreements with webcasters on behalf of copyright owners and performers before the end of the year has been approved by the U.S. Senate. The Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008 (H.R. 7084), passed unanimously in the House of Representatives earlier this week, was approved by the Senate yesterday evening and now awaits President Bush’s signature.

http://www.savenetradio.org/latest_news/08-10-01.html

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