When you’re caught in a tsunami, the objective assessment of weather patterns is usually the last thing on your mind. But since my testimony last week before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in opposition to the gay-rights inspired Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) – and in the wake of the homosexual movement-supported hate crimes (more…)
Even though broadcasters are clearly winning in the U.S. House of Representatives in their efforts to prevent the Performance Rights Act (H.R. 848/S.379 – also known as performance tax legislation) from coming to the floor for a vote, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) are urging broadcasters to join with them to negotiate on fees for songs played on radio. Chairman Conyers and Chairman Leahy sent a joint letter to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the MusicFIRST Coalition, asking that everyone sit down together and negotiate rates for music airplay.
Russ Hauth, Sr. Vice President at Salem Communications and Director of the NRB Music License Committee (NRBMLC), said in response to the news: “Even though the Performance Rights Act was approved by both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, Chairman Conyers commissioned a Government Accountability Office (GAO) economic impact study shortly after it was reported out [of his committee]. Unquestionably, part of the impetus for the study came from a vocal Judiciary Committee Member, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). She is a Los Angeles Democrat who voted “NO” on the bill in Committee, warning Conyers that ‘unintended but devastating consequences’ could result if the bill were passed as written.”
At this time, 252 members in the House and 27 Senators are co-sponsors of the Supporting Local Radio Freedom Act Resolution (H.Con.Res.49/S.Con.Res.14), a different piece of legislation that opposes new performance fees. Hauth points out that the success of this resolution is likely the very reason that MusicFIRST is pushing hard for a negotiated settlement, in order to circumvent both the GAO study (expected to be released in early 2010) and the full Congressional process.
NRB remains fully opposed to any new music fees placed upon our broadcasters. We believe that there is no reason to negotiate until the music industry acknowledges the value of free airplay on local radio stations.
One hundred sixty-six members of the House have now signed on to support the Local Radio Freedom Act, a resolution introduced in October 2007 by Reps. Gene Green (D-TX) and Mike Conaway (R-TX).
The resolution reads, “Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.” One hundred and five Republicans and 65 Democrats are now supporting the resolution.
Legislation that would impose performance royalties on broadcasters was introduced in the House by Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Darrell Issa (D-CA) and in the Senate by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) in December.
Tags: Broadcast, Broadcaster, Copyright, Issues, Legal, Legislation, Performance Rights, Radio, Record Industry
An article in the New York Times echoes CMR’s opinions that it’s the record labels, not the media that is the ultimate culprit behind the missing money in artists’ bank accounts.
After the settlement with Napster and others worth more than $270 million, the money has still not made its way from the labels to the makers of the music.
CMR Observation:
Told ya! It ain’t us that’s stealing. Take that, musicFIRST!
Tags: copyright, News, Performance, radio, rights, royalties, royalty
The NAB is using Valentine’s Day to call attention to the case it’s trying to make against performance royalties for broadcasters with an ad in Capitol Hill publications Roll Call, The Hill, and Politico highlighting the “love affair” between radio and the recording industry — as illustrated by quotes from label executives and recording artists.
The ad features a man and woman, both wearing headphones and kissing a radio. Under the headline “Love Affair,” the ad reads, “In honor of Valentine’s Day, we recognize the love affair between the recording industry and free, local radio.”
Beneath that are quotes from, among others, artist Alicia Keys, who at the recent Grammys thanked “every DJ, every radio guy, every promotions guy” as she accepted her award; RCA EVP/Promotion Richard Palmese, saying, “I’m a big, big fan of radio”; and MCA Records SVP Mark Wright, saying, “If a song’s not on the radio, it’ll never sell.”
The ad ends with the tag line “Preserve local radio. Fight the performance tax.” See it here (PDF link).
Tags: copyright, Performance, radio, rights, royalties, royalty
The age old relationship between recording companies and radio stations also received a plug from from Grammy-winner Alicia Keys, who used her acceptance speech to thank “every DJ, every radio guy…” (among others) who helped her along the path to success as a musician. Meanwhile, NAB reports that another group of lawmakers have signed on to the bipartisan Local Radio Freedom Act being championed in the House of Representatives by Gene Green (D-TX) and Mike Conaway (R-TX). The bill would head off attempts to impose performance royalties on broadcasters in recognition of the promotional value of free airplay of recorded music.
The newcomers, who bring the total number of backers to 148, include Charles Rangel (D-NY), Barbara Cubin (R-WY), Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL), John Linder (R-GA), Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Jon C. Porter (R-NV), Greg Walden (R-OR), Rodney Alexander (R-LA), Zach Wamp (R-TN), Thelma D. Drake (R-VA), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-MD), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Marilyn N. Musgrave (R-CO), Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), Gary G. Miller (R-CA), Tim Holden (D-PA), Frank D. Lucas (R-OK), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Jim Matheson (D-UT), Thaddeus G. McCotter (R-MI) and Devin Nunes (R-CA).
Tags: copyright, Performance, radio, rights, royalties, royalty
After 15 years in the format as a local Christian station Crawford Broadcasting has flipped WRCI/Rochester (102.7 The Light) to adult standards/oldies. The sign off happened Saturday 2/9. Good news is the entire WRCI staff has been retained. The Christian format will continue as a HD-2 broadcast and also be streamed online.
WRCI-FM started in 1993 with programming of Bible teachings and some music and went to a more music-dominated format last April. However, GM Robert Hammond said, “it’s just not been a format supported by the advertising community or the church community,” prompting the decision by Crawford to change the format.
from HisAir.net Report
CMR Observation:
For a 15-year broadcaster to flip formats twice in 10 months says plenty. Support of Christian radio is closely related to the station’s image and presentation in the marketplace. If the sales staff thought selling a veteran station was difficult, wait until they hit the streets this week as an unproven entity.
Tags: christian, News, noncommercial, radio, streaming
Following the fire which destroyed the family home of Don Hughes, President/CEO of Great Plains Christian Radio, on January 6. He writes: “Sometimes you can make sense out of something like this if your experience can minister to someone else. My son did a music video in our living room just before the fire. The song is titled “Dim Glass Darkly” taken from 1 Corinthians, and is about searching to see God’s hand in our life. After the fire he went back and edited the video to include shots after the fire. Altogether it makes a powerful statement that I think can minister to people in the middle of a crisis in their life.”
You can see the video at this link: http://www.gabrielpeter.com
Tags: Broadcast, Broadcaster, Ministry, Radio
WIBI/Springfield/St Louis has hired GW Van Alstine as their new Promotions Director. GW was previously with Walt Disney Corporation and has extensive experience in marketing.
Station Manager Jeremiah Beck said “I am excited about the focused, new direction WIBI can take with GW at the helm of our branding and promotions, and in connecting listeners to the local church while re-connecting the local church to the community through broadcasting and multi-platform internet outlets. We’re called to love and serve our listeners as Christ leads - and God has brought us a servant leader to head up our efforts.”
Tags: Broadcast, Broadcaster, Ministry, Radio
The National Football League’s legal threats against churches that planned on having its members view last weekend’s Super Bowl on large screen television sets has raised the ire of a diverse spectrum of critics.
The NFL had warned that if any church allowed a public viewing of the Super Bowl on a TV larger than 55” that it would consider legal action to protect its copyright interests. Churches across the nation responded by cancelling viewing of the sports event, many of them having offered it in the past as an evangelistic outreach to un-churched members of the community.
One of the major concerns of the NFL was the diluting effect that such gatherings have on the computation of the all-important ratings system for football’s preeminent event, and the corresponding multi-million dollar rates that advertisers can be charged to place their ads during the game.
from NRB Newsletter
CMR Observation
It says a lot when a copyright law will exempt a Sports Bar, and leave a loophole big enough to serve litigation to a non-profit outreach gathering. Do a mental comparison between that scenario and the current Performance Rights Act now under consideration.
Tags: Broadcast, Broadcaster, Copyright, Issues, Legal, Legislation, NRB, Performance Rights, Radio, Television, TV
