If you watched the 2009 Grammy Awards you saw Grammy president Neil Portnow mention performance royalties for artists. Currently terrestrial radio stations are exempt from paying these royalties. However, internet and satellite radio do pay performers' compensation. Now, terrestrial radio is not exempt from paying any royalty fees, we do pay BMI and ASCAP (songwriters and publishers).
This new legislation is called the Performance Rights Act and its getting a lot of support in Congress. And there are legitimate arguments, for and against, on both sides.
But let just be real. Record company's seek air play to expose their artists to the public and exposure is the reason for marketing. A record company has to pay magazines, TV stations and billboards to market a song but do not have to pay radio to play it.
So think about this... if radio has to pay artists a fee to air a song, would it be wrong for radio to charge to play that song?
I'm just thinking that the Performance Rights Act, if passed, could change radio forever.
Lj
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