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Save IPR's online music broadcasts!
Royalty rates rise; IPR online broadcasts threatened.
On July 15, royalty fees were set to increase substantially for webcasters. This is the result of a new rate determination by the Copyright Royalty Board. This rate increase threatens IPR's online music streams: KHKE, KSUI, WOI-FM, and KUNI (evening and overnight programming).
Stations that stream music online have received a temporary reprieve. Sound Exchange has announced it will allow stations to continue streaming music past July 15, as long as they're negotiating royalty payments in good faith with Sound Exchange.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has offered to pay the 2007 basic streaming costs that Sound Exchange is asking from stations, and Sound Exchange has accepted. Negotiations on a more permanent rate structure continue.
This isn't a permanent solution - but it allows public radio music broadcasters to continue their music streams online for a few more weeks during the negotiations. More than ever, it's important for you to make your voice heard.
Learn more about this rate increase:
- Mediaweek, NPR Focuses On Net Radio Royalty Rates. 03/15/2007
- KCRW, Copyright Royalty Board Decision. 04/04/2007
- Sacramento Bee, Media Savvy: A royalty pain. 04/03/2007
- Chicago Sun Times, Web radio gets the squeeze. 04/01/2007
- Boston Globe, Copyright board to reconsider higher royalties for Net music. 03/21/2007
- New York Times, A Fee Per Song Can Ruin Us, Internet Radio Companies Say. 03/19/2007
- Wall Street Journal, Readers Discuss Net Radio's Future. 03/19/2007
- Washington Post, Webcasters and Rising Royalty Fees: Paying the Price for Innovation? 03/18/2007
- International Herald Tribune, Record labels win higher fees from Web broadcasters. 03/12/2007
- Business Week, The Last Days of Internet Radio? 03/07/ 2007
Internet Radio Equality Act would nullify rate increases.
Two bills are before congress that would roll back the royalty rates to the percent of revenue model that is currently used: H. R. 2060 and S.1353. As of July 16, Bruce Braley (D-Iowa's 1st District) and Representative Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa's 2nd District) are the only Iowa representative listed as a co-sponsor of the house bill and neither senators Tom Harkin (D) nor Chuck Grassley (R) are listed as co-sponsors of the senate bill.
Learn more about the Internet Radio Equality Act:
- Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) sponsors the Internet Radio Equality Act, H. R. 2060.
- Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) sponsor a companion bill, S.1353.
- Washington Post, NPR Joins Appeal of Online Music Royalties. 06/01/2007
- Peoria Journal Star, Royalties hurting Internet radio. 05/27/2007
- NPR - All Things considered, Congress May Intervene on Web Music Copyrights. 05/21/2007
What happens to IPR's music streams if the new royalties go into effect?
We'll be forced to limit the number of listeners who can access our music streams to keep our royalties affordable. We're loathe to do this because our mandate is to serve as many listeners as possible, in as many ways as we can.
Keeping IPR's music streams available over the Internet
Contact your state's Senators and your district Representative with one electronic message by clicking here, or contact these Iowa representatives directly:
- Representative Leonard Boswell (3rd district)
- Representative Bruce Braley (1st district)
- Senator Charles Grassley
- Senator Tom Harkin
- Representative Steve King (5th district)
- Representative Tom Latham (4th district)
- Representative Dave Loebsack (2nd district)