Radio gets boost from House resolution

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An impressively bipartisan House Concurrent Resolution 244 has been introduced into the record by a pair of Texans representing both major parties, Gene Green (D-TX) and Mike Conaway (R-TX), which would head off any attempt to impose royalties, performance fees or other charges on music played over the air. 51 additional members, representing both parties, cosponsored the measure. All told, 19 Democrats and 34 Republicans appended a signature.
The Resolution states that "Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings." It is in recognition of the promotional value of radio airplay.


"NAB salutes Reps. Green and Conaway and their House colleagues for formally recognizing radio airplay’s enormous value to both record labels and recording artists," said NAB EVP Dennis Wharton. "The undeniable fact is that radio airplay is a musician’s greatest promotional tool and generates millions of dollars in revenue annually for RIAA-member companies and performers."

RBR/TVBR observation: The performance tax or fee or royalty or whatever you want to call it is seen by many as a cash grab by the big multinational recording companies in an attempt to make up for shortfalls related to their own failure to adapt to new digital realities. There is much doubt as to exactly how much cash will wind up in the wallet of the artists that the recording companies are hiding behind, and the simple fact remains that the basic elements of the decades-old symbiotic relationship between broadcasters and recording companies are still in place. If a sudden charge to play music over the air comes into being, the logical response from broadcasters will be to make it official and label all airplay as an act of promotion and charge for the airtime.

|Sponsors and cosponsors of the bill |

Sponsors
Green, Gene (D-TX)
Conaway, Mike (R-TX)
Cosponsors
Arcuri, Mike (D-NY)
Bean, Melissa (D-IL)
Berry, Marion (D-AR)
Bonner, Jo (R-AL)
Boozman, John (R-AR)
Brown, Henry (R-SC)
Camp, Dave (R-MI)
Cardoza, Dennis (D-CA)
Carter, John A. (R-TX)
Chabot, Steven (R-OH)
Cole, Tom (R-OK)
Crenshaw, Ander (R-FL)
Davis, Geoff (R-KY)
Dent, Charles W. (R-PA)
Ellsworth, Brad (D-IN)
Emerson, Jo Ann (R-MO)
Garrett, Scott (R-NJ)
Goode, Virgil H., Jr. (R-VA)
Granger, Kay (R-TX)
Graves, Sam (R-MO)
Green, Al (D-TX)
Hoekstra, Pete (R-MI)
Johnson, Eddie B. (D-TX)
Jones, Walter B. (R-NC)
Kind, Ron (D-WI)
Kingston, Jack (R-GA)
Lampson, Nick (D-TX)
Manzullo, Donald A. (R-IL)
McHenry, Patrick T. (R-NC)
Moore, Dennis (D-KS)
Murphy, Chris (D-CT)
Neugebauer, Randy (R-TX)
Ortiz, Solomon (D-TX)
Pearce, Stevan (R-NM)
Pence, Mike (R-IN)
Poe, Ted (R-TX)
Pomeroy, Earl (D-ND)
Rahall, Nick (D-WV)
Ramstad, Jim (R-MN)
Rogers, Mike D. (R-AL)
Rogers, Mike J. (R-MI)
Ruppersberger, Dutch (D-MD)
Ryan, Tim (D-OH)
Sessions, Pete (R-TX)
Shuler, Heath (D-NC)
Shuster, Bill (R-PA)
Souder, Mark E. (R-IN)
Turner, Michael R. (R-OH)
Wicker, Roger F. (R-MS)
Wilson, Joe (R-SC)
Wynn, Al (D-MD)