Jerry Lee’s WBEB-FM (B101)/Philadelphia is protesting the RIAA’s music royalty rates as recently negotiated by SoundExchange. Beginning 3/15 Lee will stop streaming the heritage AC station.
“The excessive SoundExchange rates don’t work for artists, for local radio stations, or for listeners,” said Lee. “Many stations, including mine, won’t be able to afford to stream music. Less streaming means fewer revenue opportunities for stations and ultimately less money for the artists who receive royalties. It’s puzzling why SoundExchange would want to destroy a potential growth business opportunity for the artists it purports to represent.”
Lee is especially concerned about the rates in 2015, which he says nearly half the revenue generated from streaming would go to SoundExchange.
From B-101’s website: Sorry, B101 is not streaming our radio signal on the internet at this time.
A new SoundExchange music licensing agreement has jeopardized your ability to listen to all kinds of music on the internet. Excessive music royalty rates, which have nearly doubled in the last three years and continue to increase to unprecedented levels, no longer make streaming a viable option.
Please tune to B101 on your radio dial at 101.1 FM. If you’re having trouble getting our signal to come in clearly, try moving around the power cord, as on most radios, it also acts as the antenna. In the event you’re looking for a quality, dependable radio for your office or home, click here for one we recommend.
Sincerely,
B101
