Save Internet Radio: Tuesday's Day of Silence

As most of us know, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) is making it harder and harder for Internet radio producers to finance their stations. Retroactive royalty fees and increased future fees are forcing webcasters into a corner: the fees increase both per-listener and per-song rates, and are based on audience size, increasing as listeners do. This proposed scheme would put public radio stations that stream their broadcasts and web-based radio programming at a great disadvantage against corporate and industry sponsored stations. From SaveNetRadio:

On March 2, 2007 the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which oversees sound recording royalties paid by Internet radio services, increased Internet radio's royalty burden between 300 and 1200 percent and thereby jeopardized the industry’s future.

At the request of the Recording Industry Association of America, the CRB ignored the fact that Internet radio royalties were already double what satellite radio pays, and multiplied the royalties even further. The 2005 royalty rate was 7/100 of a penny per song streamed; the 2010 rate will be 19/100 of a penny per song streamed. And for small webcasters that were able to calculate royalties as a percentage of revenue in 2005 – that option was quashed by the CRB, so small webcasters’ royalties will grow exponentially!

On Tuesday, June 26, many radio stations will observe a day of silence in protest against the proposed royalty increase. KCRW will air "D-Day For Webcasters", a program hosted by several prominent radio producers and talents, educating listeners on the CRB's proposal and ways to fight it. Hundreds of stations will be participating in the silence, and listeners who miss their regular programming are encouraged to contact their senators and representatives to weigh in on the issue. In Texas, the Texas Broadcasting Network, San Antonio's KUIW, Houston's KTRU and others will be participating. Austin's KUT 90.5 will be broadcasting only KUT2 content, and other area public radio stations will be altering their regular programming in a variety of ways as well. Some stations are opting to play ocean sounds, ambient or static noise in between public service announcements in lieu of total silence.

For more information, visit Save Net Radio and read The Internet Radio Equality Act.