For those who aren't aware, Internet Radio is being threatened by new RIAA royalty fees that will force many independent stations and voices off the Internet. Next many Internet Broadcasters will be participating in a National Day Of Silence...cutting our streams and trying to focus listener and netroot attention to this situation and pending legislation that would keep the RIAA out of controling the content and revenues of Internet Radio.
Here's more information from RadioInk:
http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=138308&pt=todaysnewsIn response to a impending royalty rate increase that, if implemented, could lead to the virtual shutdown of Internet radio in the US, thousands of webcasters plan to go silent next Tuesday, June 26, to draw attention to their industry's plight.
This "Day of Silence" is an encore of a media event that small webcasters organized on May 1, 2002 in response to a similarly royalty rate ruling from a Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel five years ago. That event garnered national attention and was subsequently followed by a rate cut by the Librarian of Congress and the passage of the Small Webcaster Settlement Act for the period 1998-2005.
Webcasters will be alerting their listeners that "silence" is what Internet radio may sound like on or shortly after July 15th, the day on which 17 months' worth of retroactive royalty increase payments are due to the SoundExchange collection organization under the terms of a recent Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) decision.
Here's what we're hoping you and other Internet Radio listeners will do...
http://www3.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9738601CALL YOUR SENATORS AND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW TO ASK THEM TO CO-SPONSOR THE INTERNET RADIO EQUALITY ACT, S. 1353 IN THE SENATE AND H.R. 2060 IN THE HOUSE!
The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger!
Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on July 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!). If the increased rates remain unchanged, the majority of webcasters will go bankrupt and silent on this date. Internet radio needs your help!
The Internet Radio Equality Act has recently been introduced in both the House and Senate to save the Internet radio industry. Please call your senators and your representative to ask them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act.
My Internet Radio operations will be participating in this...cutting regular programming and playing announcements about the "Day Of Silence"...those announcements are available for other broadcasters on the saveinternetradio website.
I'm asking other DU Internet Broadcasters to also join in on this action. Also, for those who Podcast to either avoid uploading for the day...or please mention the Day of Silence in your Podcast as the RIAA has you in their sites as well.
Also, for those who blog, please mention the Day of Silence in your posts and hopefully we can energize the netroots and our allies in the House to push through safeguards that will allow Internet Radio to continue to grow and fill a tremendous void for millions of listeners and has empowered many creative sounds and voices.
Thanks for your support!
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