NPR, Others Challenge Online Royalties

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Associated Press

NPR, Others Challenge Online Royalties

May 31, 3:12 PM (ET)

By SETH SUTEL

NEW YORK (AP) - National Public Radio is teaming up with online radio broadcasters to appeal new music royalties that they say would put smaller operators out of business and force others to sharply scale back their online music offerings.

NPR filed a notice with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington Wednesday signaling that it would challenge the ruling by a panel of copyright judges that would sharply raise the amount of royalties that NPR stations and others have to pay record companies for streaming music over the Internet.

NPR also said it was filing a request with the same court on Thursday along with other Webcasters for an emergency stay blocking the adoption of the new rates, which are set to go into effect July 15.

Several NPR member stations such as KCRW in Los Angeles have significant online audiences for music programming, and would have to drastically cut back those offerings under the new royalty rates, NPR says.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070531/D8PFHSMG1.html

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