Radio Futures
I had the idea not to write about SoundExchange's war on internet radio until the 15 July deadline came round or something significant happened. There has continued to be a small stream of news on this, and as well with matters like this if some minimal pressure is not kept up the matter simply becomes decided. As penance I give burnt, well, toasted offering in the form of the lyrics to the song Mr. Giant Man as personally transcribed (sidebar). Liz Berg has update in the WFMU blog on this from WFMU's perspective which is worth reading WFMU's Beware of the Blog: Radio News You Can't Use. She even travelled down to DC in May during the flurry on capital hill on this last month. There has been other press and activity since. What still puzzles me in the indiscriminate nature of SoundExchange's (RIAA) approach in raising the song usage fees. Two very different types of entities are being whacked here. In the first place streaming content from commercial and noncommercial radio. This is often though not always simulcasts of their over-the-air content and being simply part of that broadcast. SoundExchange insists; though, on separate and different pricing between these, significantly steeper for net content. Also they create a pricing structure based on number of (logged on) users a proviso that does not seem to have any direct analog to broadcast listeners. Also affected are web 2.0 user-created private Radio, which is a mix of enhanced playlisting solutions exemplified by Live365, and Pandora. Both relatively small companies, both in terms of size and revenue)
Higher Music Royalties Create Static on the Net - washingtonpost.com. SoundExchange, collection agent for the RIAA, would perfer not to see any distinctions, lumpen it all together
Music Group Offers Some Web Radio Sites a Break - washingtonpost.com. The events of May: the bills in congress which would overturn the Copyright Royalty Boards validation of SoundExchange's new fee structure
OpenCongress - H.R.2060, the petitions these provoked semi second thoughts, on SoundExchanges part. For smaller organizations - they decide - they would postpone the new fees until 2010
Music industry offers deal to small Webcasters | CNET News.com. The initial reaction of the Webcasters to this was no sale
Webcasters ask appeals court to delay 'Net radio royalty increase. Digital Media Association and NPR "have filed for an emergency stay in the US District Court of the DC Circuit, seeking to delay the new royalty fee schedule for webcasts that is slated to go into effect on July 15." There also seems to be some discontent on another provision of the new rules. SoundExchange wants paid to them a flat $500 per channel administration fee, the suit refers to this as imposing "financial burdens that will stifle the technological advancement"
Internet radio providers criticize SoundExchange's excessive administrative fees. james last (hanzi) mr. giant man, voodoo beach party number six. (Germany, circa 1967)
Hi Ho I'm the King of Giant land. Ho Ho Party Time in Giant land. Hi Ho I'm a friend come along come along. Ho Ho In the land of Giant Man.
Chorus: Take me in your hand Mr. Giant man Lets go together to the Giant land Better get gone before the sun goes down Mr. Giant Man let's get on.
Hi Ho I invite you all to come. Ho Ho Everyone will be there. Hi Ho We will dance the Giant Way. Ha Ha You can Dance in Double time. Ho Hum There'll be fun for everyone. Ho Ho In the land of Giant Man.
(chorus)
Hi Ho I invite you all to come. Ho Ho everyone will be there. Hi Ho Party time in Giant Land. Ho Ho I'm a friend come along come along.
(chorus)
Hi Ho I'm the King of Giant Land. Ho Ho Come Along and we'll have some fun. Hi Ho Party time in Giant Land. Ho Ho I'm a friend come along come along. Hi Ho I invite you all to come. Ho hum There'll be fun for everyone Hi Hum Ho Hum. What is the purpose of all this? Sure, there is always blatant greed. But greed is often complex like an '80s tv movie. These latest developments make it seem like the purpose of this is to confine the means of the mechanical reproduction of music. Within broadcast to terrestrial radio hopelessly mired as it is in homogenized burr-free national playlists. And the sterile niche-casting of satellite radio which never manages to give the impression they have any real idea of what they're doing. Against this the small tentative efforts by noncommercial traditional broadcasters to create a web presence, entirely in keeping with the idealistic visions of non-geographic communities of the like attuned. Communities created by groups often of volunteer Djs programming out of their own expertise (and record collections) who staffed these stations. For those trying to make their grubstake on music, it should be understood that these communities form the nucleus and heart of music culture. If you nickel and dime them to death, it all dies.
11:41:07 PM  ;;
|
|
