Save Internet Radio

Okay music lovers. There is a real threat to independent radio programmers on the World Wide Web. Please educate yourself and make waves to stop the big business/government gouging of radio station owners/operators.

Save our Internet Radio.

A few other links that you may find useful: Copyright Board
A possible cause for this current wave of greed is here.

How many times do we have to learn the same lesson? Robbing us of our art and culture choices, little by little via financial demands. Sometimes I am so embarrassed to be an American. Shamed. Please people. do what you can to make a change. Think, act, live!

off soapbox now. Let me know what you have heard about this issue. And spread the word. Please, spread the word.

If you have a chance, check out the beloved station Radio Paradise. You won't be sorry.

A more defined explanation from Mississippi Songbirds blog:
On Friday March 2nd 2007, the Copyright Royalty Board announced new
royalty rates for Internet Radio stations. The rates are retroactive to January of 2006. The new rates are far higher than any industry experts expected. In fact, if they remain unchanged, bankruptcy looms for many online radio stations.

The new rates essentially levy a tax of $0.0011 per performance. Now, that doesn't sound bad does it. But consider this. Each hour, the average radio station plays 16 songs. So that's about 1.76c per hour, per listener. A station with 500 listener average 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. 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.

What can you do?
If you enjoy internet radio, you need to make your feelings known right now to your representatives in the Congress and Senate. Write to them and ask them to help repeal the decision of March 2nd by the Copyright Royalty Board. It only takes a couple of minutes.

Congress: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

More background on this decision
http://www.digmedia.org/docs/Press%20Release%2010-31-05.pdf
http://www.digmedia.org/docs/CRB%20Arbitration%20FAQ.pdf
http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/030207/index.shtml
Broadcastlawblog http://www.savenetradio.org/archive.htm

Broadcasters Go Here and join the cause http://webcastersunite.net