Radio Rates

02007-04-05 | Internet, Radio | 6 comments

David Byrne Journal: 4.1.07: Your Government Working for You
The Copyright Royalty Board is proposing a large increase in the performance royalty rates for “non-interactive streaming services”. This means web radio, cable radio and satellite radio will pay more to SoundExchange in royalties. Presumably those royalties eventually dribble down to the artists getting “played”, but it’s never that simple. It’s a little complex and difficult to understand but let me see if I can describe what is in the offing.

I encourage you to read the whole piece, but here is another little snippet:

While traditional terrestrial radio does pay songwriter/publishing royalties for the musical work itself, in the U.S. they don’t pay performance royalties for the sound recording under the rationale that airplay promotes the songs, which benefits the copyright holders. (This determination was mostly due to the radio industry lobbying congress not to collect these royalties.) Web radio, however, along with satellite and cable services, does pay performance royalties — these are the rates that are being raised now. (If this discrepancy sounds illogical, it’s because it is.)

The recording industry is floundering, and I am hoping broadcast radio will be next. Many seem to agree that both industries changed for the worse in the nineties, but that would be a long post for another day…

6 Comments

  1. Carol

    I’m sure happy they played unknown artists back in the very early nineties.

    Reply
  2. Jacqueline

    Wow I did not know! You are a wealth of all kinds of info!

    J

    Reply
  3. Will

    “That would be a shame, as these stations are the only source of, well, good music, alternative sounds and innovative and informative programming in the U.S. It would be a loss for, well, democracy, as democracy depends on availability of many points of view untainted by commercial concerns and pressures. A truly informed populace, in other words.”

    Amen…I just had a discourse on this today. A main topic from my discussion was “Does the media control the information, or does the culture (people) control the information”. The consensus was the people control the information (what people watch, listen to and read) and the media plays off those needs i.e. supply and demand. So if this is true what does modern media say about our culture and the way we go about life? And if media shapes and molds our life is limiting the types and styles of media good or bad i.e. American Idol vs. PBS Documentary. And finally what was life and culture like before the invasion of mass media?

    Reply
  4. Jacqueline

    What a breath of fresh air you are Will….example mass media , Is an invasion of much more than just privacy…It fill minds with so much mis-informed , junk, like spam mail, imagine shutting them all off, and advertiser’s ….Choices and chances, minus all circumstances!

    He He Happy Day thanks for changing my day! J

    Reply
  5. Will

    Jacqueline,

    I know in some European countries they play commercials prior to the show starting, so the first 5-10 minutes are commercials and then the show starts. So the viewers can choose to view the commercials or not. Oh to have that here.

    You are correct the majority of mass media is spam, junk and misinformed. But if we go by my hypothesis above, this is what the majority of our culture desires. Most people don’t want to come home and watch a show that makes them think, they want to “zone out” to Entertainment Tonight.

    Regarding misinformation, it is no surprise that the majority of our culture is misinformed when they want to “tune in and tune out”. I really do not know the solution to this as we are in the minority. I have two PBS stations in my area, Sirius radio, internet radio and a vast library in my house. That was my democratic solution to the evolution of mass media in the 21st century.

    Reply
  6. Jacqueline

    Will

    I agree with the vast library in ones house, I don’t like to zone out on what they call movies or T.v. I would much rather take a walk in the woods. Internet and radio. Live show’s of music that are not a waste of time! Money and energy! When I zone out it is generally to play my music, or lol attempt flamenco, and to write my poetry!

    Glad to know there are more of us out there!

    Reply

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