Free Radio Alliance

The big record labels, represented by the musicFIRST Coalition, have been pushing to levy a performance tax on local radio stations for decades, but Congress has never agreed. In fact, nearly 200 members of the Senate and House currently support a resolution opposing legislation that would impose any new fee on broadcasters for over the [...]

In a commentary published Tuesday in Dartmouth College’s student newspaper, The Dartmouth, author Divya Gunasekaran notes, “…air play has served as a free promotional opportunity for artists.  Record labels may be suffering financially, but undermining radio stations to save the skins of a few major labels can hardly be called a solution.” Not only does it [...]

Members of the Free Radio Alliance yesterday greeted Capitol Hill staffers on their way to work and asked them to oppose the Performance Rights Act.  Capitol Hill’s largest publication, The Hill, wrote about the rally this morning.  The gathering was in response to the RIAA-backed MusicFirst Coalition’s press conference with Dionne Warwick that same day. [...]

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) called in to the 1070 WINA morning news show in Charlottsville, VA yesterday and expressed his concern that legislation pending in the House of Representatives would stifle local radio stations and prevent them from serving the public interest.  The Performance Rights Act could potentially cost radio stations millions of dollars in [...]

A coalition of 34,000 church- and minority-owned radio broadcasters wrote a letter today to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi today urging her to oppose the Performance Rights Act, otherwise known as the performance tax. “This is the worst time to impose additional fees on minority-owned radio stations that are already dealing with layoffs, [...]

The Media Institute, a non-profit foundation dedicated to researching the effects of communication policy issues, opposes the Performance Rights Act.  The institute’s latest report titled “Performance Fees on Radio Stations: A Debacle Waiting To Happen,” details the effects of the proposed law and how it would specifically damage minority-owned and local broadcasters.  FMQB reports: Black [...]

It’s a singles business.  That’s what songwriters are saying more these days as record executives are more interested selling singles than full albums – and it’s radio that is providing that critical publicity to make a chart-topper.  Fewer consumers are purchasing full albums and instead turn to the hits and download them online from retailers [...]

The Performance Rights Act (PRA) threatens to force many local radio broadcasters off the air if it passes through Congress. The costs will just be too high, and one broadcaster has already predicted closing his doors. Fred Baker, Jr., president of KISR radio in Arkansas, says, “if it does go through, I will probably get [...]

Senators Blance Lincoln (D-AR) and John Barrasso (R-WY) sent a letter today to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) andMinority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) opposing the Performance Rights Act.  The PRA passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. “By many estimations, passage of this legislation would result in potentially billions of dollars flowing from local [...]

Record companies are fighting for a performance tax on radio broadcasters because they’re “running out of money,” says National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Chairman Steve Newberry in USA Today.  ”When you start with that basis, it’s very difficult to engage in good-faith negotiations.” “If a large station is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a [...]