Save Internet Radio
VISIT WWW.SAVENETRADIO.ORG
Don't let giant radio conglomerates determine what you can listen to! The Copyright Royalty Board just increased rates for the smallest broadcasters, effective May 15 and retroactive to January 1, 2006!, a resolution which will bankrupt thousands of small broadcasters and virtually all hobbyist broadcasters. I can't March on Washington today with the webcasters of the country, but I can post here. I can call Congressman Emmanuel, Senators Durbin and Obama.
MYTH: Broadcast radio, satellite radio and Internet Radio pay the same amount of royalties to creators of music, or pay proportionate relative to the size of their businesses.
FACT: The smallest medium - Internet radio - pays the most royalties; and under the new CRB royalty scheme the smallest webcasters will pay the highest relative royalties in amounts shockingly disproportionate to their revenue.
* Broadcast radio, an industry with $20 billion in annual revenue, is exempt and pays no performance royalties to record companies or recording artists.
* Satellite radio, which has approximately $2 billion in annual revenue pays between 3 and 7% of revenue in sound recording performance royalties.
* The six largest Internet-only radio services anticipate combined revenue of only $37.5 million in 2006, but will pay a whopping 47% (or $17.6 million) in sound recording performance royalties under the new CRB ruling. In 2008 combined revenues will total only $73.6 million, but royalties will be 58% or $42.4 million.
* Small Internet radio services are essentially bankrupted by the CRB ruling, with most anticipating royalty obligations equaling or exceeding total revenue.
SAVE INTERNET RADIO! Phone your congresspeople, write your congresspeople. Support House Resolution 2060 to help return fairness to internet radio broadcasters!!