Radio's Battle With Congress Starts Monday

4-9-14

Over the past few months the NAB has been slowly but consistently adding names of Congressmen who support what broadcasters call "The Local Radio Freedom Act." The bill states Congress should not impose a performance tax on radio for playing music over-the-air. On Monday, a battling bill will be in the spotlight and this bill calls for radio to pay to play. Four Congressmen will be introducing what they call music licensing reform legislation at the SAG-AFTRA office in New York City. It's the latest attempt by some lawmakers to mandate that radio pay artists to play their music. They are calling the bill The "Fair Play Fair Pay Act of 2015." American Association of Independent Music President Rich Bengloff told the Tennessean, "The long-standing issue is we should be paid since no one listens to radio for the commercials. If music is the reason why someone is listening to something, then how come Lee Ann Rimes doesn't get paid when she performs music on the radio, or the Lumineers aren't paid when their music is played on the radio?"

On Monday at 11 a.m., there will be a launch party held at SAG-AFTRA's New York City headquarters. Scheduled to attend the event are three of the bill's sponsors -- Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and John Conyers (D-MI) -- as well as artists and musicians, plus representatives from musicFIRST Coalition and partner organizations.

(4/10/2015 5:06:26 PM)
If we have to pay additional fees then we should be able to charge in return. Getting pay for play makes sense for broadcasters if we have to pay for play to the labels and artists (primarily the labels). In this case, turnabout would be fair play.
(4/10/2015 9:47:22 AM)
Hasn't Cumulus Media been doing this for a while? How do they get all those acts for their corporate Xmas parties, and Jon Dickey's birthday parties? Additionally, their new "American Idol" spotlight is a 'pay-for-play' model. All this, and Cumulus stock continues to tumble...sniffing $2.00...

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NAB Pushes Congress Over 50% Mark

4-29-14

The NAB announced Tuesday that a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives is now co-sponsoring a resolution that opposes "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local radio stations. Four more Representatives added their names in support of the Local Radio Freedom Act, bringing the number of co-sponsors to 219 Members of the House and 14 Senators.

The members of the bipartisan group adding their support to the Local Radio Freedom Act are Democratic Reps William Keating (MA-9) and Stephen Lynch (MA-8) and Republican Reps. John Culbertson (TX-7) and David McKinley (WV-1).

"We applaud all the co-sponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act for voicing their strong support for America's hometown radio stations," said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. "A job-killing performance tax would be devastating to free and local radio, which has an overall economic impact of over $513 billion in gross domestic product and generates more than one million jobs annually. This resolution reaffirms Congress' appreciation for the public service and economic benefits radio broadcasters provide to every community, while recognizing the mutually beneficial relationship between radio and performing artists."

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NAB Lands Four More Members Of Congress

12-27-13

There are now 200 Representatives and Senators signed on to the Local Radio Freedom Act. The four new supporters of the anti-performance tax resolution are Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania, Robert Hurt from Virginia, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, and Bill Pascrell from New Jersey. The Local Radio Freedom Act is now co-sponsored by 188 Members of the House and 12 Senators.

Reps. Michael Conaway (R-TX) and Gene Green (D-TX) introduced the Local Radio Freedom Act (H. Con. Res. 16) in the House of Representatives on February 15 along with 71 additional co-sponsors. An identical resolution (S. Con. Res. 6) was introduced in the Senate on March 6 by Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).

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CEA Urges Congress To Pass Fairness Act

11-29-2012

Consumer Electronics Association Senior VP for Government and Regulatory Michael Petricone was out with a statement shortly after Wednesday's hearings were held. He urged Congress to pass the Internet Radio Fairness Act. "Current law requires Internet radio companies to pay vastly more in royalties than other digital or over-the-air music sources. By imposing disproportionately high costs on Internet radio companies, the government is effectively picking winners and losers in the digital music marketplace."

Petricone added,"Unsurprisingly, the Internet streaming ecosystem is not healthy. Unjustifiably high royalty rates discourage new competitors and many Internet streaming companies have closed or left the industry. By rationalizing the royalty structure, the Internet Radio Fairness Act will stimulate investment in the Internet music industry. That means more royalties for artists, more choices for consumers, and more exciting new products and services for Internet music. The current royalty system is unjustifiable, and changes proposed in the bill are common sense and long overdue. We urge Congress to vote for innovation and pass the Internet Radio Freedom Act as quickly as possible.?

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Pittman Teams With Westergren to Lobby Congress

10-25-2012

A lobbying group called the Internet Radio Fairness Coalition has launched and it has Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman and Pandora Founder Tim Westergren on the same team. Pittman has never been a big fan of the Pandora business model but in this case the Internet music service's millions of users will come in handy as both men lobby Congress for friendlier royalty rates. Pittman and Westergren are joined by 10 other organizations to form this coalition and push for pending legislation to lower royalty rates.

Founding members of the Coalition include 977 Music, AccuRadio, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Digital Media Association (DiMA), Digitally Imported, Engine Advocacy, National Religious Broadcasters Music License Committee (NRBMLC), Pandora (NYSE: P), Radio Paradise, Salem Communications, and the Small Webcaster Alliance (SWA). The Coalition website is www.InternetRadioFairness.com.

Pittman said, ?We believe that market-based solutions are the way to go. But in the absence of these agreements, the CRB needs to have and consider more relevant information so they are better able to develop a rate structure that will lead to a healthy, sustainable Internet radio marketplace. This will enable artists to earn more and connect more with their fans, consumers to have more choices, and entrepreneurs to invent and invest in new services.?

Westergren added, ?Legislation that establishes a fair royalty rate setting-standard for Internet radio will drive investment in webcasting, which ultimately offers greater opportunities and more revenue for working artists,? said Pandora Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Tim Westergren. ?Internet radio has been shown to help decrease music piracy and increase music sales. When the digital music sector is allowed to grow and innovate, everybody wins.?

The Coalition?s mission is to urge Congress to support legislation (The Internet Radio Fairness Act of 2012, or IRFA), aimed at bringing the royalty system for Internet radio into the 21st century -- creating a sustainable business model for the industry that gives consumers more choices and more products for listening to the music they love; enables artists to earn more money as Internet radio grows; creates a marketplace that will attract entrepreneurs to invest in new, innovative ways to deliver music to the public; and drives higher revenues for record labels.

(10/26/2012 3:44:50 PM)
The NAB wants to keep the the higher streaming rates because they have invested in iBiquity's fraud.

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Is FM Chip Gaining Support in Congress?

8-7-2012

The NAB and FM Chip advocate Jeff Smulyan have apparently gained another ally in Congress. Michigan representative Hansen Clarke (pictured) is calling for another hearing, to talk about the FM Chip, in a letter to the Chairman of the subcommittee on emergency preparedness, Congressman Gus Bilirakis. Bilarakis held a roundtable discussion about the chip back in April and one hearing, called "The Future of Audio" has already been held in Congress.

The NAB and Smulyan have been saying having the FM Chip in all cell phones is a question of public safety. The wireless

industry has not been a big supporter of Congress getting involved, especially if the plan is to mandate the chip into all phones. Clarke says the chip issue, "is a very important issue that could have serious implications for this country's homeland security." He added, the ability to communicate clearly and effectively is critical in times of an emergency. I believe the use of broadcast radio chips can provide consumers with fast and reliable access to both emergency alerts and in-depth emergency information."

Read the entire Hansen letter HERE

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CEA: Broadcasters Should Stop Begging Congress

6-6-2012

Not to be outdone by Smulyan, the President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association Gary Shapiro told Congress he was "sad to report that we are still fighting efforts to mandate the incorporation of old technologies in new products ? namely, radio broadcasters? demands that Congress forcibly intervene in the marketplace and require analog radio receivers be installed in a host of digital devices." Shapiro blasted Smulyan's claim that radio is necessary to alert consumers during a tornado, saying it defies logic.

Shapiro said the "vast majority of radio stations" are automated so how can they really be helping consumers. "Some stations do have people present during specific periods of time, such as morning drive time, but operate unattended during other periods. When it comes to informing their audiences about time sensitive information unattended stations typically either don?t do it at all, or are very slow to get the information out. This is because to operate in unattended mode the programming has to be planned out and recorded well in advance. Unattended operation is great for consumers because it provides all of us with easy access to services whenever we need them. However, if we need urgent, timely service in a crisis an unattended business is usually not much help. If there is a local emergency in your community it will be easy to find pre-recorded programming on unattended radio stations, but hard to find up-to-date information about the crisis."

Shapiro said that in the event of an emergency, people increasing use their mobile phones to access the Internet or platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. "The services provide specific and localized information that is often more helpful than a generalized radio update. Finally, and most important, wireless carriers and the federal government are already rolling out a system to provide geographically targeted emergency alerts. The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system, deployed this past April, will transmit emergency alerts for severe weather, as well as AMBER alerts for missing children and Presidential Alerts for national emergencies. The text based messages are vastly more effective than FM transmissions because they will instantly be displayed on the phone. A warning sent by analog radio is useless unless you happen to be listening to the radio at the exact moment the radio is transmitted."

Shapiro added, "CEA opposes not only a mandate for FM chips in cell phones, but also opposes the broadcasters? current effort to require a government study of this issue. The marketplace has shown that Americans are perfectly capable of deciding for themselves what functions and features they want in their smart phones. Wasting taxpayer funds for something as absurd an unnecessary mandate on innovation is the kind of special interest-driven expenditure that frustrates average Americans. The correct answer for broadcasters, however, is not to beg Congress to protect their historic business model. Instead, broadcasters must do what other industries do when faced with new market entrants ? learn to compete smarter and harder. Indeed, if the broadcasters wish to compete effectively, redoubling their commitment to HD Radio would be a good first step."

(6/7/2012 9:44:27 PM)
Have you ever tried to access wireless broadband after a hurricane, tornado or a major storm. Radio played a major role in getting critical information out during 9/11. Not every station is automated all the time. Why does the FCC want to mandate the EAS or CAP system if radio is a non issue in emergency situations. I agree, who cares about HD. We are talking about standard radio reception that reaches millions everyday, and in times of crisis.
(6/7/2012 7:57:07 AM)
This is simply a ploy by Big Group Radio and the NAB, as iBiquity investors, to backdoor HD Radio chipsets into cell phones. Watch out cell phone industry!

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Congress Recognizes Zimmer For Tornado Coverage

1-6-2012

It's just another day at the office for the Zimmer Radio Group when it comes to providing award-winning community service. The Zimmer family has always been about using radio as a tool to serve local communities. So it's really no surprise that the company has been recognized by Congress. Missouri Congressman Billy Long presented The Zimmer Radio Group with a copy of the Congressional Record from December 16th, when he cited Zimmer Radio's work following the May 22nd tornado.

NewsTalk KZRG and Zimmer Radio provided live 24 hour coverage for over a week following the deadly tornado in Missouri. Long said, "It was just excruciating to drive down over here from Springfield and hear people call crying, panicked, looking for family members, didn't know which end was up, didn't know if their folks were alive, in a hospital, where they might be. So it just meant a whole lot."

ZRG Operations Manager Chad Elliot tells Radio Ink, "It?s an honor to be recognized for our efforts on May 22nd. Zimmer Radio broadcast around the clock one hour prior to the tornado striking Joplin and continued for 9 days with disaster and relief information. We are fortunate to work for a great broadcaster James Zimmer who provides us with the tools and staff to succeed!  We have a culture of community in our company and it shined brightly that night!  If you talk with any of our associates they?ll you we were just doing our job."

KZRG listener Patricia Katopol posted "Absolutely well deserved. I listened online for days and was very impressed with the quality of programming - and the obvious concern and care that the broadcasters had for their fellow citizens - during the crisis."

Congratulate Elliot and the ZRG team chade@zrgmail.com

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Fort Myers Talker Quits to Run for Congress

1-6-2012

Conservative radio host Trey Radel is running for Florida's 14th Congressional seat. Radel is joining a growing list of people running for Congressman Connie Mack's seat. Mack is running for the Senate. Radel is a conservative and was heard on 92.5-FM, a Fox News affiliate. He announced he was running for Congress during his show this morning. Drew Steele takes over on Monday.

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Cox Radio Host Files To Run For Congress

Martha Zoller hosts a show on Cox's WXKT-FM in Gainesville, GA and is syndicated across the state. She will remain on the air until next spring when she qualifies as a candidate. The FCC's "equal time" rule does not kick in until the candidate is officially on the ballot, which would happen when Zoller qualifies. Zoller is a conservative and plans to to run for Georgia's new congressional seat. Georgia gained a new U.S. House seat due to its growing population. The state Legislature has approved the new congressional map. Under the Voting Rights Act, either the U.S. Department of Justice or the federal courts need to also sign off on the plan.

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