Radio Royalty Opposition Gains Steam
Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, on Thursday took a swipe at legislation unveiled last week by House and Senate Judiciary Committee leaders that would end a long-standing music royalty exemption granted to AM and FM stations by introducing a resolution urging Congress not to impose "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local radio. Green's resolution, which is supported by the National Association of Broadcasters, already has the backing of 110 cosponsors -- double the number he had when the measure was introduced in the 110th Congress. He eventually gathered more than 220 supporters last year.
"This is our base whip list," Green said in an interview. "This is nonbinding but if someone signs on and votes another way, they'd have to explain that to a lot of constituents." If the House royalty bill, which is sponsored by Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, makes it through his committee and onto the floor, Green said he hopes he will have enough supporters to vote it down. Last year, the legislation passed Judiciary's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, which has been abolished in the 111th Congress. Green said he expected the royalty bill to pass Conyers's panel. A companion bill was introduced by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy last year and again last week. The two bills differ slightly. Read CongressDaily's recent coverage for details (subscription required).
The MusicFirst coalition, which supports the royalty bills, issued a press release slamming Green's resolution as "a last ditch effort to save corporate radio's loophole in copyright law." "Radio is the only platform that does not pay a fair performance royalty to America's artists and musicians," the group said, noting that satellite, Internet and cable music stations pay. "It's not fair, it's not right and it will be changed." The NAB, however, calls that effort "a record label bailout," which will put thousands of radio jobs at risk and threaten the economic viability of an artist's greatest promotional asset.
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