This is Seious: Help Save Internet Radio
 

Yesterday I was working and listing to 1.FM like i always do, and an announcement came over that congress is raising fees on Net Broadcasters, and it will possibly close many internet radio stations, and 1.FM may be included.

I know a lot of us listen to internet radio, and many mainstream blog and website owners have the plug in and widget for 1.FM and other online stations.
They are killing the messenger. How the fuck are we supposed to find out about new stuff..Commercial Radio?
All you need to do to be heard on the matter is go to
SAVE NET RADIO.ORG
They have a very easy to use, email campaign set up to alert your Representatives of how you feel, There is also
media, if you would like to put a link on your Mainstream sites or blogs.

Here is a news story from The Seattle Post Intellencer:

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Editorial
April 23, 2007

It's not hard to figure out how to kill a relatively young, fledgling industry: Regulate it to death and slap as many unreasonable fees on it as you can. Last week, the Copyright Royalty Board did so when it upheld a decision forcing online radio stations streaming music to go from paying royalties based on a percentage of their revenues (as determined by the Small Webcasters Settlement Act of 2002) to paying flat fees per song.

The cost of per song will continue to rise. We're talking pennies here -- each song will cost $0.0019 by 2010, but those pennies add up fast, as the operator of one online channel lamented. His fees would jump from $140 a month to $1,500 a month. Those fees are retroactive for 2006, meaning even tiny, basement-run stations or operations such as Seattle's non-profit KEXP (kexp.org), which focuses on promoting independent music, will have to fork over sums of money that could hamper their online efforts. In a statement responding to the CRB decision, the station's executive director said, "Carrying this additional expense will likely require us to cut services or let go of projects." The magazine Wired reported that "the smallest Web casters ... likely will vanish unless the rates are overturned."

The fees collected largely will go to record labels, but down the line, this decision will harm them, too -- less exposure to music means lower CD and online song sales.

Congress should intervene and reverse this culturally asphyxiating decision.

SAVENETRADIO.ORG

Where is Al Gore when you need him?

Yeah I know I spelled Serious wrong. I feel like an idiot.

This deserves a bump. This is serious. If Congress feels the need and has the right to increase fees on operators of websites in the U.S., when will it stop?
The web is world wide, but if you are an operator in the U.S. you have to pay more than everyone else in the world with the same programming?

Will there be a tax on Porn next for U.S. operators?
Lat time I checked the U.S. is not in charge of the Internet.

bump
http://www.sexphotoblog.com/theShotOfAllShots.jpg

why not just host out of country?

You guys bitch and complain about content theft but you want free music?

$1,500 a month will "break" a station? That's under 4 cents a minute.

If you can absorb 4 cents a minute for your content - get out of the biz.

this is SEWIOUS...We have to help them!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...uckling002.jpg

I am bumping the thread, but I have to say this:

If the business model is dependant on everything being free, it isn't much of a business model. Internet stations shouldn't be at an advantage over other radio stations, they should play on a level playing field when it comes to sourcing and paying for the material on their stations.

The reality is that the internet isn't a good broadcast medium, due to it's one on one nature. If the station's business plans don't work with the medium, well, give it up. Sucks to be them, but internet radio at this point is just another fusker or P2P system, living off of free content from others.

Too bad,so sad... they can go back and figure out how to run a real business.

I really don't care about internet radio

SoundExchange is just another arm of the RIAA sticking their hand up the asses of people / businesses already paying royalties.

And I have to disagree with the "internet isn't a good broadcast medium": It's a fucking fantastic broadcast medium. If it really wasn't a good broadcast medium, this board, for example, wouldn't exist.