SaveNetRadio.org is asking us in the US to call our representatives to urge them to support the Internet Radio Equality Act (HR 2060), introduced by Jay Inslee (D-WA). Here’s what the email I received from Live360 says:

The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) recently denied webcasters’ requests for a rehearing on its ruling of unfairly high new royalty rates — a stunning 300 to 1200 percent increase — for Internet radio for period 2006-2010.

Internet radio is singled out from all other radio, burdened with fees not paid by AM or FM stations, and at rates at least 3-4 times paid by satellite and cable radio. The ruling even included absurd minimum of $500 per station per year to penalize the smallest webcasters with the highest rates.

Should this ruling stand, many of your favorite stations will be silenced. You will find Live365’s 260 genres reduced to the same meager, homogenized list carried on AM/FM radio, because the unfair rates would drive webcasters in niche genres with unique content unavailable elsewhere out of business.

You can, however, help protect your favorite tunes of your favorite DJs from being silenced.

The Internet Radio Equality Act (HR 2060) has been introduced in Congress by Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA). A simple phone call to your Representative to ask for their support on this Bill will go a long way toward ensuring your right to diversity and choice in radio. Better yet, please also write and fax to show how serious you are. They need to know how much your music means to you.

You can find your Rep’s number here. [Tags: radio digital_rights politics ]

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