Stars Swarm Hill To Support Royalty Bill

February 24, 2009

Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and Sen. Orrin Hatch R-Utah, got some star-studded support Tuesday for legislation they introduced earlier this month that would end a long-standing royalty exemption granted to AM and FM radio. The rally organized by the MusicFirst Coalition featured an impressive line-up of performers including: Will.i.am; Sheryl Crow; Herbie Hancock; Emmylou Harris; Patti LaBelle; Dionne Warwick and others. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman, House Oversight and Government Reform ranking member Darrell Issa and Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also attended. Watch video clips of speeches by LaBelle, Crow and Harris above. For more, see CongressDaily's AM Edition on Wednesday.

Juliana Gruenwald

Tech Writer

E-Mail: jgruenwald@nationaljournal.com.

Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.

Josh Smith

Tech Reporter

E-Mail: joshsmith@nationaljournal.com.

Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.

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