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A Reprieve for Internet Radio
Posted by
Zonk
on Mon Jul 02, 2007 06:09 AM
from the i-can-keep-getting-my-soundtrack-fix dept.
from the i-can-keep-getting-my-soundtrack-fix dept.
westlake writes "In the wake of Internet Radio's Day of Silence, SoundExchange has proposed a temporary $2500 cap on advance payments 'per channel/per station.' The Digital Music Association responded immediately in its own press release that it would agree to this, but only if the term for the new arrangement were extended to 2010 — or, preferably, forever. On another front, SoundExchange seems aware in its PR that it will have to concede something more to the non-profit webcaster, if it is to avoid Congressional action."
Related Stories
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Small Webcasters Offered a Rate Break, Reject It 123 comments
Pontifex minimus writes "Music royalty collection group SoundExchange has offered an olive branch to small webcasters. They are willing to delay the exorbitant new rates set by the Copyright Royalty Board until 2010 for small webcasters in hopes that they can keep Congress from passing the Internet Radio Equality Act. Larger outfits, like Live365 and Pandora would not be affected and would have to pay the new rates. '"Although the rates revised by the CRB are fair and based on the value of music in the marketplace, there's a sense in the music community and in Congress that small webcasters need more time to develop their businesses," said John Simson, executive director of SoundExchange.' SaveNetRadio rejected SoundExchange's offer, saying that it 'throws large webcasters under the bus.'"
[+]
Day of Silence On the Internet 276 comments
A number of readers sent in stories about Net radio going dark for a day. Not all of it, but according to the Globe and Mail at least 45 stations representing thousands of channels. The stations are protesting a ruling establishing royalty rates that will put most of them out of business on July 15. "The ruling... is expected to cost large webcasters such as Yahoo and Real Networks millions of dollars, drive smaller websites like Pandora.com and Live365.com out of business and leave a large chunk of the 72 million Net radio listeners in the dark." SaveNetRadio has a page where US residents can locate their senators and representatives to call them today.
[+]
Politics: Internet Radio's 'Second Chance' Bogging Down in House 105 comments
An anonymous reader writes "Wired is reporting that the Internet Radio Equality Act is failing fast in the House, with negotiations breaking down over fair pricing for internet radio broadcasters. 'A legislative setback could make it harder to dislodge the new fees, which took effect last month after a federal appeals court refused to postpone the payment deadline. With the threat of congressional backlash fading, SoundExchange could find little incentive to budge from its current position ... SoundExchange has already proposed changes that could relieve small and custom-streaming sites from charges they could not possibly afford to pay, at least in the short term. Many expect a small-webcaster deal to be done by early September, when Congress goes back into session. But the deal on the table hasn't changed since SoundExchange extended an offer in May to charge them 10 percent of gross revenue under $250,000, or 12 percent of gross revenues over $250,000, with a revenue cap at $1.25 million.'" All very cushy for SoundExchange. Wired also points out that this is the same organization illegally lobbying for terrestrial radio royalties through 'third party' shell groups.
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Still a chunk of change (Score:3, Interesting)
It's the end of radio, can you hear me now?
Re:Still a chunk of change (Score:5, Interesting)
(http://pcbookreview.com/)
Reminds me of "WXJL Tonight" by The Human League from 1980 about the last DJ on the air lamenting his fate as all the other stations have gone over to 24/7 automatic stations without any chat inbetween the songs.
And now I'm left alone
I haven't got a word to say
And youre the one who makes the choice
To turn me on or turn me off
But now it really matters
"didn't realise" (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://pcbookreview.com/)
We're going through a painful growing stage that's going to be full of 'WTF?' moments but I'd be surprised if in ten years time, the music industry landscape will be drastically different with self-publishing bands, CDs a rarity (or their replacement format) and the licencing juggernaut that we have right now being relegated to history.
The only reason I can see for the industry as it stands to exist is R&D but they do so little of that now as to be moot. If a band doesn't hit the big time on their first single/album, they're dropped, no more the nurturing of a band over several albums while they find their stride.
The HiFi brigade will naturally be less than enthused about MP3 as a primary format but that will no doubt be replaced with some sort of lossless DRM free format by then.
Re:"didn't realise" (Score:4, Funny)
Re:"didn't realise" (Score:4, Insightful)
(http://www.shedplant.net/)
Re:"didn't realise" (Score:4, Insightful)
(Last Journal: Friday November 10 2006, @02:16PM)
ShedPlant makes a valid point, though it's not to the liking of most people here.
The record industry is extremely wealthy and has the ear of the extremely powerful. Though it may seem obvious to us that their business model is outdated and is destined to fail, they have the political clout to make sure US legislators prop up their model for a long, long time. They also, via control (or association with those in control) of television media, continue to have the strongest marketing presence.
It's all fine and dandy to believe that the music industry of the future is just over the horizon, but I don't think it's in the immediate future -- there is simply too much political clout and capital invested in making sure that then status quo is maintained. I think back ten years, and people were saying that by now, we'd already have witnessed the restructuring of the music industry due to technological changes. Ten years from now, I think we'll look back at today, and be saying the same thing.
This isn't just Monday morning pessimism, the simple truth is that it will be another generation (or two!) before the people who really understand the future of media distribution are in the political power positions necessary to overcome the money being funneled into politics by the media companies. And that's if we're lucky.
Re:"didn't realise" (Score:5, Interesting)
Now, internet radio is dealing a serious blow to the mafiaa. Remember that radio is maybe the most influencial medium when it comes to making some kind of music mainstream. You hear it all the time, so it's gotta be good. It ain't the other way around anymore. It used to be (ok, some 50 years or so ago), that music was good, people liked it, so radio played it to attract listeners. Today, it's reverse. Just like in every other industry. Without real competition, and everyone selling you the same crap, you have no choice but to accept the crap and choose from different equally crappy products. Thus it doesn't hurt a radio station to spew hypecrap instead of playing music.
Internet radio sure hurts this kind of revenue stream. Quite a few internet radio "stations" are ran by people who want to play "their" music. Who have a certain liking and want this to be heard. And they sure as hell won't hype some crap song even for money. If anything, they ridicule it.
Can you see why the mafiaa isn't really too fond of the idea of internet radio?
The panel is incompetent (Score:5, Insightful)
(Last Journal: Thursday December 09 2004, @09:25AM)
Of course, that won't happen. Incompetence and ignorance are not grounds for removing a judge, and from the prespective of the current administration they played the game very nicely.
I hope something happens soon (Score:1)
I love Live365, It would be a same to see them go under. They have an amazing selection of music and for 3.65 a month it is a great bargain.
Re:I hope something happens soon (Score:5, Funny)
(http://www.vhemt.org/)
Testing the waters? (Score:5, Interesting)
Or it could just be that they are incompetent with dealing with internet distribution of music. That wouldn't be unprecedented.
Re:Testing the waters? (Score:4, Interesting)
(http://stylus-toolbox.sf.net/ | Last Journal: Tuesday May 15, @11:50AM)
In the end, I don't think they will
Re:Testing the waters? (Score:4, Insightful)
Anybody want to rent some of my Canadian bandwidth for streaming to US customers?
Just say no. (Score:5, Interesting)
(Last Journal: Friday December 01 2006, @10:51AM)
Re:Just say no. (Score:4, Interesting)
Heh Heh Heh (Score:3, Interesting)
Why not longer, DiMA? If I were SoundExchange, I'd be amused with this - the longer they can make 2,500 the maximum, the more erosion of actual costs (inflation) will happen. $2,500 isn't what it used to be.
Finland.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Now - last week - they've turned around and are excited to offer this brand new venue for artists to reach their audience!
It would be interesting to know the details of the new contract..
Let internet radio die (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Friday November 23 2001, @04:14PM)
Why SoundExchange? (Score:4, Interesting)
"it would agree to this" (Score:3, Informative)
NSFW GOATSE (Score:5, Informative)
Don't click the "it would agree to this link" it has either been hacked or the picture redirected to goatse!
Warning!!!!!!
Fight the Music police! (Score:2, Informative)
Minor error in article (Score:1)
It says "The Copyright Royalty that set the new online radio royalty rates . . ." but should probably say "The Copyright Royalty Board that set the new online radio royalty rates . . ."
These are the entities formerly known as Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panels ("CARP"). True story: these were (very briefly) known as Copyright Royalty Arbitration Panels (which makes more sense, actually), but no one wanted to serve on a CRAP panel so they had to change the name.
"non profit broadcaster?" (Score:2, Troll)