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April 30, 2007
Will Congress Rescue Internet Radio?
Posted by Alan Wexelblat
Proposed legislation - the Internet Radio Equality Act - would roll back the Copyright Board's regressive new fee structure, giving us back the flat-fee revenue-based method that has let the industry grow this far. The proposal is for a flat 7.5% of revenue through 2010.
The bill appears to be largely the result of a successful Internet campaign that, according to the CNN story linked above, has generated over 400,000 emailed complaints to Congress about the new fees. That's a good number both in terms of its impact on this discussion and in terms of showing that Internet radio is developing a significant, motivated, audience.
Unfortunately, the bill doesn't solve anything in the immediate future. Even if it passes and is signed quickly its implementation is still months away. Something like a court order would be needed to stay the implementation of the new CRB fees in about two weeks, an event that will likely cause most non-big-commercial Web radio to go dark, even if only for a while. That could be significantly harmful and might be enough to kill much of the alternative streaming community in the US regardless of what Congress does.
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1. Elitest Pig Dog on July 3, 2007 10:52 AM writes...
Elitest Pig Dog - Look the people are actually enjoying themselves learning, enjoying music, acting free and turning against the slave pen we’ve made for them.
Elitest Pig Dog 2 - Well then well just manipulate the laws again to show them there our slaves once again.
Elitest Pig Dog - Good Idea, lets start with the music we own that right?
Elitest Pig Dog 2 - Oh, yeah all of it and we can only let them have the brain washing stuff for free. Nothing like 12 year old girls singing britney spears.
Elitest Pig Dog - Oh I just love that we’ll restructure it to play all day on the stations we take over.
Elitest Pig Dog 2 - This should make it easier then to go after talk radio right? and videos on google like money masters? Cause we cant have the truth told to the slaves, i mean when i want a sandwich I don’t wanna have to wait or make it myself you know what I’m saying.
Elitest Pig Dog - I know just where your coming from, I had to wait 2 min. once it was hell, I think my stomach actually growled. Oh yeah and it’s all just domino’s we get this the rest will fall, there stupid and cant stand up for anything. We’ll just start another american idol up so they will watch that and we’ll move in.
Elitest Pig Dog - so then its agreed music first.
Elitest Pig Dog 2 - Aye, to the law system we created to further enslave!
Elitest Pig Dog - Tally HO! To the racketeering Mobile!
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