Do you listen to Internet Radio??

[Selena]

Come next week, it's about to go bye-bye... unless this can be stopped by listeners like us. This means no more RenRadio, no more Pandora, or any other internet radio that YOU might listen to instead of the "radio" to obtain music not played on regular air stations.

http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=438691

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrfb68J-2dQ


This is an email I received as a Pandora listener:

Hi, it's Tim one more time...
Disaster looms! Yesterday a federal court denied a plea to delay the massive increase in rates webcasters must pay the record labels. This means that, absent immediate Congressional action, the new ruinous royalty rates will be going into effect on Monday threatening the future of all internet radio.
This is a very dire situation and I'm writing to ask one more time for your support. The effort you've made over the past four months has been extraordinary and has forced the rapid introduction of the bill, but the committee process has been sluggish and we need to once again remind the representatives of the urgency of this issue. This is perhaps the most important phone call you can make for us.

Please call your Congressional representatives in the Senate and ask them to force immediate action on the Internet Radio Equality Act and bring the bill to a vote. It is critical that their phones begin ringing off the hook starting early in the morning. If it's busy, please try again later.
Senator John Cornyn: (202) 224-2934
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison: (202) 224-5922
I'm sorry that we have to keep asking you for this - but it's our only recourse. We are no match for the legal and legislative strength of the RIAA and we need your help.
Thank you again.

Gratefully,



-Tim Westergren
(Pandora founder)



Why is this happening? In a nutshell, it is because it has been determined that Internet radio needs "copyright fees", which are SO astromonically high, more small guys (like Renradio!) can't afford to pay these stupid fees. So, take it without your Vaseline, folks... YOU no longer have a choice.

And before we talk about all the "illegal sharing" of music, keep in mind that many of these stations are gifted with their music. Meaning... Renradio is run by music given to him to play on the Internet. Given to him BY the musician.... SO, because the big business isn't getting a piece of that pie, they want it now... to the detriment of both the artists, musicians and the little people who have the capacity to share that music.

[WenchLadyKate]

Even some sirius stations, such as Radio Margaritaville, which also plays a live feed on radiomargaritaville.com for the folks that don't have sirius are going ot be affected. A few stations even had a day of radio silence to protest and make people aware of what's going on. It truly is a sad thing...

And, renradio? Got a link?

[Selena]

And, renradio? Got a link?

Renradio.com !
It's run (for now) by "Rengeek" aka Michael McDane Harris. He's a good friend of mine so I have been talking to him about this mess for months now.

[WenchLadyKate]

It really sucks... A LOT of people listen to internet radio. The only ones that are going to be able to keep it are going to be companies like AOL. A service provider that I refuse to subscribe to. So, again, the 'little guy' has to suffer, the person just doing something cool has to suffer. This seriosuly sucks.

[Lady Laurel]

I first started listening to renradio when I lived in Spring Texas around when it first started. I am very sad to see it go. I have heard alot about Rengeek over the years but never met him.

[Tink]

I listen to Beethoven.com and I will NOT be happy if it goes away.

Phoning now.

[Jayde]

Selena! Check out Rengeek's site!!! Read the story he has the link to up. Hopefully this is as good as it seems to be!!

[Selena]

YES! It's a start-- someone is listening. I'm really getting sick of the fat cats getting fatter and fatter while they keep squishing down the guys with smaller pockets!!

Here's the latest 411---

*************

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...-increase.html

In the wake of an appeals court's decision not to delay the imposition of a new, expensive royalty scheme, Internet radio broadcasters got an unexpected bit of good news from an unlikely source. During a Congressional roundtable initiated by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), SoundExchange executive director Jon Simson said that the licensing group will not enforce the new royalty scheme. Instead, the rate hikes will be postponed indefinitely while SoundExchange and the webcasters attempt to hammer out a more equitable rate schedule.

[Roberto Phoenix]

I've been helping with this battle from almost the beginning over on the Highlander radio forum. As Selena posted above there as been some progress. This was posted on www.savenetradio website.

Congress and SoundExchange have heard loud and clear the amazing outpouring of support for Internet radio from webcasters, listeners and the thousands of artists they support. A commitment has been made to negotiate reasonable royalties, recognizing the industry’s long-term value and its still-developing revenue potential.
During negotiations SoundExchange committed temporarily not to enforce the new royalty rates so webcasters can stay online as new rates are agreed upon.
This development is due in great part to the millions of people who have let their Congressional representatives know about their support of Internet radio. Over 125 representatives have cosponsored the bill to this point.
We urge listeners to continue calling their Senators and Representative to ask them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act. Thank you.

However that does not mean this battle is one. Keep calling and writing your reps asking them to pass the bill before Congress (actually still in commitee). It's most likly Soundexchange will try to pull off something somewhere down the line. But if you like listening to top 40 all day-hey just do nothing.

[FairieTink]

liveireland.com is the one I hit.
What they will end up doing is making these guys move their servers off shore, just like the poker folks.