Musicians Send Snarky 'Gift' To NAB
The musicFIRST coalition, which is lobbying for copyright holders to get paid when their music is played on AM and FM radio, sent the National Association of Broadcasters and early holiday gift on Monday.
The alliance, backed by the Recording Industry Association of America and others, mailed NAB President David Rehr an American Heritage College Dictionary "to help the NAB more accurately understand the meaning of a 'tax.'"
NAB officials have repeatedly referred to musicFirst's campaign as a "tax" on local radio. The dictionary sent to Rehr defines tax as "a contribution for the support of a government required of persons, groups, or businesses with the domain of that government."
The controversy over NAB's lingo most recently came to light at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the future of radio last month when New Hampshire Republican John Sununu grilled an NAB member about the terminology.
"A performance right is not a tax. It is fair compensation for artists and musicians who, through their voices, their inspiration, and their hearts and souls, bring music to life on the radio. It is compensation earned by artists and musicians that is long overdue," Motown singer Martha Reeves said in a coalition press release.
Update: NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton said the recording industry is trying to "bail out a failing business model." "It is undeniable that free airplay of music on America's hometown radio stations generates millions of dollars in annual revenue for both artists and the foreign-owned record labels," he said.
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