Washington, DC - Representatives Gene Green (D-TX) and Mike Conaway (R-TX) June 3 announced that they had added their 219
th cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 49, the Local Radio Freedom Act of 2009. The Local Radio Freedom act now counts 232 bipartisan sponsors of this resolution, and continues to build upon the support of over half the House of Representatives.
“The system in place today fairly compensates everyone. For 80 years, Congress has recognized that and has not imposed performance fees on local radio stations,” said Green. “The free promotion record labels and performers receive from radio airplay drives album and concert sales, which results in compensation for performers and record labels.”
Record labels and performers have prospered from the free airplay provided by local broadcasters. This free airplay is estimated to reach 232 million listeners a week, and the recording industry enjoys increased popularity, visibility and record sales. 85 percent of listeners of all audio services identify radio as the place they first heard music that they purchased.
“I am pleased that my colleagues understand the importance of protecting our local radio and rural communities by cosponsoring this legislation,” said Conaway. “Local radio provides an invaluable service in the community by relaying important weather information, national emergency information and important news that will affect the community. This “performance fee” would place an unnecessary and devastating burden on the small local broadcasters and will inevitably hurt our communities. By securing 219 cosponsors and now 232, we have guaranteed the continued protection of local radio in the 111th Congress.”
In March, the House Judiciary Committee on May 13 approved H.R. 848, The Performance Rights Act, which would require stations to pay a fee for the music they broadcast free of charge. This legislation would allow the Copyright Royalty Board tax free, over]the]air local music radio stations as it has done to Internet]based streaming radio.
Like other industries, radio stations are struggling in the current economic climate and imposing new fees at this point could force many small, minority-owned, and Spanish language radio stations out of business. For some communities, like the Hispanic community, local radio stations are sometimes the only link between them and vital local information and community news.
“I cannot say enough about the benefits local radio provides constituents in our district in Houston and Harris Country, Texas,” said Green. Local radio provides Amber Alerts, local news and weather and vital Gulf Coast emergency alerts. “When we experienced Hurricane Ike in Southeast Texas last September power was out across southeast Texas and battery-powered radios and televisions were our only sources of news and emergency information. A performance tax would hurt local radio stations that provide these vital services.”
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