Did you guys hear about how major record labels want to charge our local radio stations for playing music? You might think it doesn't affect us, but think again. If you are a frequent radio listener, it'll obviously affect you, but nothing compared to the hundreds of artists who are played on the radio on a daily basis.
Learn More & Join the Fight
For generations, Americans have loved listening to their favorite radio station. In addition to playing music, radio stations offer valued services to the local community such as emergency alerts about weather or natural disasters, raise money for charities, and sponsor local community events.
However, the major record companies want local radio stations to pay for the music we provide to listeners like yourself free of charge.
They are spending millions lobbying Congress to pass legislation that would establish a performance tax for music played over the radio. These bills, S. 379 & H.R. 848 would devastate local radio stations across the country. However, even more importantly, the bills would negatively impact communities and local listeners.
A Performance Tax will Cause Loss of Jobs and Community Programming
* If the performance tax is signed into law, it will put at risk an industry employing almost 106,000 people and generating more than $6 billion for communities through free airtime for Public Service Announcements, charitable contributions and disaster relief efforts.
A Performance Tax is a “Listener’s Tax” and Will Harm Music Diversity
* As free music would become a major business expense, stations will either flip to talk radio or only play the “sure thing.” The result - emerging niche artists are shut out and audiences are left wanting.
Don’t Let Washington Set the Price of Radio Music!
* If the federal government imposed a performance tax or “Listener’s Tax,” there would not be a fair way to determine the price due to the varying popularity of each song, and numerous other market variables that simply cannot be accounted for from Washington, DC.
Radio Already Compensates the Recording Industry With Billions of Dollars Worth of Free Promotion.
Don’t simply take our word for it - here is what those in the music industry have to say about radio’s impact…..
“If a song’s not on the radio, it’ll never sell.”
- Mark Wright, Senior Vice President, MCA Records
“It’s worth remembering that U2, you know we broke in the United States through Boston, and through radio stations like BCN and stuff like that. We depend on radio.”
- Bono, speaking with a WHDH-TV news reporter, March 2009
So what can you do?
Sign a petition on the following site. If you want, you can contact your local senator as well. It doesn't matter if you listen to a pop, dance, R&B, hip-hop, alternative, or country station, it will affect you!
http://www.saveyourradio.org/petitio...RADIO&id=53265
SAVE YOUR RADIO!
