http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/549087.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/03/business/fi-ct-radio3
La-da-da-daa… Hey, hey, heyyyy… Goooooodbyyyyyyye
This year, legislation was presented that would require radio stations to pay licensing fees for playing artists’ songs. This already goes on today, as radio stations pay fees to publishing companies such as ASCAP and BMI in order to play songs by the company’s songwriters/copyright owners.
The new legislation, called the Performance Rights Act, would require radio stations to pay fees to artists record companies for the “performance” of a song. It would go something like this:
Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Mary J. Blige, etc, have songs on the radio. Let’s say they didn’t write any of the songs they are actually singing. Today, radio pays the publishing company of the songwriter in order to get a license to play the song. If the Performance Rights Act is passed, radio stations would have to pay a fee to publishing companies for the songwriter/copyright owner AND a fee to the record companies for the artist “performing” on the actual sound recording.
The music industry has been suffering for years… and it has been struggling even more in this economic climate. Album sales are down from their hey-day in the 90’s. Digital sales have skyrocketed. The industry is more single-driven, where consumers buy singles or maybe a few songs off an album rather than the whole album. CD’s are on their way to becoming obsolete. Frankly, this seems like a last-ditch effort for record companies to get their hands on even more money that is supposed to go to the artists.
“But, Kev,” you say, “They pay those fees in Europe!” Yes, they do. But this is America. And in America, AM/FM radio has historically been a promotional tool for artists. Radio has been known to break artists, singles, bands, singers, no-talent-having hustlers, one-hit wonders, etc. As I stated earlier, the music industry has been suffering. That includes radio. Radio makes its money from advertising. Ad sales are down. If this bill passes, it could be the end of radio… as we know it.
Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Key phrase, “… as we know it.”
Where would payola come into play if radio stations have to turn around and pay that money back? Artists on major labels may get less airplay than independent or unsigned arstists simply because the latter is cheaper. We may see a return to radio DJ’s actually playing music that isn’t on a playlist handed down to them from their corporate bosses. DJ’s just might be able to actually DJ! This could be good.
Then again… I’m not holding my breath on that.
But it is a nice possibility. What say you? Is the Performance Rights Act good or bad? Who would benefit most from it? The record companies? The radio stations? The consumers? What do you see happening if it passes?
La-da-da-daaaa… Hey, hey, heyyyy… Gooooooooodbyyyyyyyyyyyyye!!!!
