ok Im in !!
let the music stream
:lol
Just making sure the point got across. 
Here is the link to the NPR Royalties Story in case you missed it. Listen in. Sign the petition. Write your legislator.
"And it’s not only the little guys who are upset. Clear Channel Communications, the country’s largest commercial radio network, joined a number of other organizations last week in filing motions with the Copyright Royalty Board to ask it to rehear the rate increase issue.
Among those organizations was National Public Radio, which filed a motion for rehearing the issue on behalf of all public radio stations that stream their broadcasts online."
Is it just me or is anyone else glad CCC has finally stepped up for the “little guys”. Simon is a real piece of work. You can add me to that critic’s list.
Hope Lin :pickin
Ironic isn’t it? The thing that most of us would love to see brought down may be our best ally in the battle against this new royalty rates thing. With the industry clout of Clear Channel on board, there is a good chance that this can turned around.
Yeah, I’ll agree with CCC and NPR, being from each end of the spectrum, getting something done about this… this… greed.
The 'NEW RATE" is way too high and for me, it’s the simple fact that folks like this Simon guy keep saying “the musicians… the musicians”, when in all reality the labels are getting 50%.
Did I read that right? The Library of Congress??? Appointed??? A Three Judge Panel???
As in hand-picked? Geeze, does it smell bad in here today Paul?
Hope Lin :pickin
The Library of Congress has jurisdiction over all copyright issues. FWIW.
Clear Channel is covering their own butts, don’t be fooled. They don’t want to pay the royalties 2x over for streaming their stations online. It just happens to work in favor of the little guys this time. Luckily enough, it’s a battle that they desperately need them for. (the little guys needing CCC).
The Library of Congress has jurisdiction over all copyright issues. FWIW.Clear Channel is covering their own butts, don’t be fooled. They don’t want to pay the royalties 2x over for streaming their stations online. It just happens to work in favor of the little guys this time. Luckily enough, it’s a battle that they desperately need them for. (the little guys needing CCC).
That is strange the irony involved in this issue that gives me the creeps. OOOOh I feel dirty… Click above to sign another petition. I am pretty sure it’s a different one.
Yeah, never thought about CCC having to pay twice. Nice catch!
Hope Lin :pickin
Please act now folks, My monday nights just wouldn’t be the same without you tuning in.
This from the station manager at KWMR:
Online music is in danger. The Copyright Royalty Board just announced a
decision that could drastically impact the variety and diversity of
music available on the Internet. All “webcasters,” nonprofit and
for-profit, small and large, face a massive hike in the royalties they
pay every time they play a song. The exorbitant fees could put small,
independent webcasters out of business and force the large webcasters
to adopt the cookie-cutter model of traditional radio. The fees would
be unsustainable for public radio webcasters who would be forced to
significantly reduce the alternative and cultural programming they
offer.
Organizations such as Free Press and the National Federation of
Community Broadcasters work to expand public awareness and involvement
in media policymaking. They have been instrumental in communicating
public concerns to the FCC and Congress. Please check out the Free
Press link below and consider signing a petition to ensure reasonable
fees instead of disastrous hikes that could affect KWMR’s ability to
webstream our music programs.
http://action.freepress.net/campaign/internetradio?rk=VdNoYjd1k42UE
Click above and fill out this new and improved petition. This one is created by a new coalition called Save Net Radio
Save internet radio!!!
I emailed one of my senators, Tom Coburn, about this several weeks ago. Today I received this response.
Dear Mr. Winfrey,Thank you for contacting me regarding the Copyright Royalty Board’s (CRB) recently announced new statutory royalty rates. I appreciate your input on this issue.
As you know, on March 9, the CRB issued a decision that establishes a statutorily mandated standard for royalty rates for commercial and non-commercial Webcasters. The new rates represent an extension of the “willing buyer/willing seller” standard. The new rate requires both commercial and non-commercial Webcasters to pay an annual $500 non-refundable fee.
The new rate, however, does not include a special exception for small Webcasters. The CRB considered a small Webcasters proposal where the fee structure would be based on total revenues. The CRB rejected the proposals because:
“[S]mall commercial webcasters focus on the amount of the fee, rather than how it should be structured, is further underlined by the absence of evidence submitted by this group to identify a basis for applying a pure revenue-based structure to them. While, at times, they suggest that their situation as small commercial webcasters requires this type of structure, there is no evidence in the record about how the Copyright Royalty Judges would delineate between small webcasters and large webcasters.”
The CRB ruled they lack the statutory authority to carve out royalty rate exceptions for the emergent business models promoted by small commercial Webcasters. To that end, I suspect a legislative bill will be introduced in the Senate that would provide the CRB with the requisite statutory authority to carve out an exception for small Webcasters. Should a bill come before the Senate, I certainly will keep your views in mind.
Again, thank you for writing me. Should you have any additional concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Tom Coburn
United States Senator
TC: swm
I also got a response from my Senator:
Dear Thomas:Thank you for contacting me regarding internet radio and royalty rates. I appreciate hearing from you.
The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) recently announced new statutory royalty rates for certain digital transmissions of sound recordings for the period January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2010. Implementation of these new rates marks the expiration of a previous royalty rate agreement specifically designed to benefit “small” webcasters.
I understand the issue of whether the economic needs of small commercial webcasters should be factored into statutory royalty rates is extremely important to many of my constituents who listen to internet radio. While legislation pertaining to this matter generally falls to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, of which I am not a member, please rest assured I will keep your thoughts on this matter in mind should it be considered by the full Senate.
Thank you again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Ken Salazar
United States Senator
done :thumbsup
here is a link to the senate committie on trade and commerce:
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/
here are the members of the committee:
Democrats
Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (HI)
John D. Rockefeller, IV (WV)
John F. Kerry (MA)
Byron L. Dorgan (ND)
Barbara Boxer (CA)
Bill Nelson (FL)
Maria Cantwell (WA)
Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ)
Mark Pryor (AR)
Thomas Carper (DE)
Claire McCaskill (MO)
Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Republicans
Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (AK)
John McCain (AZ)
Trent Lott (MS)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
Olympia J. Snowe (ME)
Gordon H. Smith (OR)
John Ensign (NV)
John E. Sununu (NH)
Jim DeMint (SC)
David Vitter (LA)
John Thune (SD)
a direct link to the page that is linked to each senators web site:
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=About.Members
I’m working on this after the pledge drive ends this Friday.
here is some good news from the internet radio front:
:clap
http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/042607b/index.shtml
:cheers
Action Alert
CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON NOW TO ASK THEM TO CO-SPONSOR H.R. 2060, THE INTERNET RADIO EQUALITY ACT.
Call Now
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. Please call your Representative in Congress as soon as possible and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act.
this just in:
Last Friday a Senate version of the bill was introduced by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sam Brownback (R-KS): www.savenetradio.org/071510-wyden.pdf. This is a promising development, but we need your help again. I know we’re asking a lot, but the stakes couldn’t be higher and the fight is not over.
Please call the offices of your Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act, S. 1353.
Senator Ken Salazar: (202) 224-5852
Senator Wayne Allard: (202) 224-5941
(if your in colorado)
Visit www.savenetradio.org to keep up on our fight to save Internet radio. There are some powerful testimonials there from musicians who have found their audience through Internet radio.
Act on this today.
Keep those calls and letters going to your congresspeople folks they are having an effect.
Check this out:
http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/07/breaking-news-o.html
:cheers