Rabidwerewolf
Member
Internet Radio To Go Silent on June 26?
"June 21, 2007 5:19 AM PDT
Internet radio to go silent on June 26?
Posted by Anne Broache
If you depend on the sounds of Internet radio to get you through your workday, don't be surprised if your headphones pipe out little more than dead air next Tuesday.
In protest of the elevated royalty fees Webcasters are poised to begin owing to the record industry next month, Internet radio operators are planning to stage a "day of silence."
So far, Live365 and AccuRadio.com have agreed to cease their music programming on June 26, save for brief audio public service announcements sprinkled throughout the day, according to a Wednesday report by Kurt Hanson of the Radio and Internet Newsletter,. So has the online presence of KCRW, the Southern California-based public radio station. Other public radio broadcasters and larger operators, such as Yahoo, RealNetworks' Rhapsody service and Pandora, may also sign on, Hanson said.
A number of small commercial Webcasters are also on board with the idea, and all told, thousands are expected to participate. Smaller Webcasters staged a similar protest five years ago in response to a similar rules change by the U.S. copyright officials.
At issue are fee hikes that the Internet radio community says could bankrupt its services, particularly those run by smaller operators. SoundExchange, the non-profit collection entity that lobbied for the changes, has repeatedly argued the changes are fair and necessary to ensure artists are compensated adequately.
Opponents of the changes are still hoping for a reprieve before the July 15 date on which the royalties are scheduled to kick in. They are continuing to pressure politicians on Capitol Hill to pass bills that would overturn the royalty rate increases and align them with those required of other digital services, such as satellite. Some groups have also asked a federal appeals court to delay the rate changes."
link
I don't know really what to make of this. I mean the record industry has a right as its a free market and all, but why? If I was in a band, I would want more people to hear my music so if they judged it to be music they would like they would buy my cd or download the tune, tell their friends and co-workers about me, and there for increase my fan base. I mean the internet radio sites will just increase the fees for advertising, and the ones that have a membership fee will just pass it on to the consumer. In the end, some will go out of business. I personally don't use internet radio that much. How bout you guys and gals?
"June 21, 2007 5:19 AM PDT
Internet radio to go silent on June 26?
Posted by Anne Broache
If you depend on the sounds of Internet radio to get you through your workday, don't be surprised if your headphones pipe out little more than dead air next Tuesday.
In protest of the elevated royalty fees Webcasters are poised to begin owing to the record industry next month, Internet radio operators are planning to stage a "day of silence."
So far, Live365 and AccuRadio.com have agreed to cease their music programming on June 26, save for brief audio public service announcements sprinkled throughout the day, according to a Wednesday report by Kurt Hanson of the Radio and Internet Newsletter,. So has the online presence of KCRW, the Southern California-based public radio station. Other public radio broadcasters and larger operators, such as Yahoo, RealNetworks' Rhapsody service and Pandora, may also sign on, Hanson said.
A number of small commercial Webcasters are also on board with the idea, and all told, thousands are expected to participate. Smaller Webcasters staged a similar protest five years ago in response to a similar rules change by the U.S. copyright officials.
At issue are fee hikes that the Internet radio community says could bankrupt its services, particularly those run by smaller operators. SoundExchange, the non-profit collection entity that lobbied for the changes, has repeatedly argued the changes are fair and necessary to ensure artists are compensated adequately.
Opponents of the changes are still hoping for a reprieve before the July 15 date on which the royalties are scheduled to kick in. They are continuing to pressure politicians on Capitol Hill to pass bills that would overturn the royalty rate increases and align them with those required of other digital services, such as satellite. Some groups have also asked a federal appeals court to delay the rate changes."
link
I don't know really what to make of this. I mean the record industry has a right as its a free market and all, but why? If I was in a band, I would want more people to hear my music so if they judged it to be music they would like they would buy my cd or download the tune, tell their friends and co-workers about me, and there for increase my fan base. I mean the internet radio sites will just increase the fees for advertising, and the ones that have a membership fee will just pass it on to the consumer. In the end, some will go out of business. I personally don't use internet radio that much. How bout you guys and gals?
