Steve (or anyone else knowledgable of the subject), I received and reposted this thing in my myspace today trying to raise awareness of it. It came from a very reliable source so I tend to trust it significantly. I just wanted your input on whether this is really as big a threat as it seems. Will this really put so many of our favorite internet radio stations out of business? I'll attatch my post rather than rewrite it. If it is this serious, I'd please encourage everyone to please write your representative ASAP and get your family friends and dead relatives involved
This seems to be a huge threat to the increadible renaissance of media that we've been lucky to experience the last few years since internet radio and PodCasts have taken off. If you're like me, your heart and mind swoon with the amount of intellectual, comedic and musical brilliance that you get to choose from every day from your iPod, car, or work/home computer. If you haven't absolutely fallen in love with the rebirth of music and thought through internet radio, it's only a matter of time before you do. Please, for mine and your future read the following and send the following letter to your representative in the following link
Sincerely,
Brandt
There's something going on you might not be aware of. Recently, the courts ruled to increase the amount of money internet radio stations have to pay for broadcasting and it's going to shut many (if not most) of the best ones down. They simply won't be able to afford to broadcast. Even things like NPR are going to have problems, let alone some of your favorite places to hear new music.
The Court actually DENIED any appeals. The only thing tha could stop it is some emergency legislation being put together by some other Representatives. If they don't get others to join them, who knows what the future of independent internet radio will be.
Sooooooooooo what can YOU DO?
PLEASE take the time to go to
http://www.house.gov/writerep/Look up for representative and e-mail them this:
Dear [put their name here]
As one of your valuable constituents, I urge you to please look into this. It's urgent. The future of independent music and small radio stations on the Internet is at stake.
Internet Radio Equality Act, H.R. 2060,
Introduced April 26 by Washington Democrat Jay Inslee and Illinois Republican Donald Manzullo. The law would nullify the CRB's ruling and put webcasting on the same footing as satellite radio -- that is, with a royalty rate of .33 cents per listener-hour or 7.5 percent of total revenue, chosen by the provider. (According to estimates by tech site BetaNews, AOL would owe $916,000 for 2006 under H.R. 2060, as opposed to $23.7 million under the CRB's scheme.) July 15 may seem a ways off -- until this Tuesday the deadline was May 15 -- but Maloney and McSwain urge everyone to call their representatives in Congress now.
Thank you,
[Put your name here]
