This is a PSA, of sorts: Internet radio is in trouble, and now is a good time to speak up.
To get involved, check out SaveNetRadio.org.
If you love good things like Pandora or even the somewhat lame Last.fm, you might be surprised to hear that on March 2, 2007, The Copyright Royalty Board announced that Internet radio stations’ royalty payments for streaming music will increase significantly between now and 2010.
Update: CNN Money recently posted a review of this situation, focusing on NPR’s involvement in petitioning the CRB to reconsider their decision.
Broadcast Law Blog provides a helpful writeup here. Check it out and get learned. Or, check out Pandora founder Tim Westergren’s succinct explanation:
It’s an utterly ridiculous ruling that renders any form of internet radio non-economic.
There is more at stake than your Pandora playlists here: Internet radio facilitates discovery of new and distinctive music like Dubconscious, a reggae/dub jam band out of Athens, GA. It facilitates long-tail distribution, breaking the Top 40 format’s stranglehold on creativity.
How to help
- Add your name to a petition
- Write your Representative
- Contact your Congressperson
- For more information, check out SaveNetRadio.org, which includes these additional links: