Hi David- Can you point me to a web link where this is stated? Thanks. Richard
--- David Solomonoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Not actually "saved" but a reprieve -- David > > Online Radio Is Saved; SoundExchange Will Not Enforce New Royalty > Rates > on Sunday > By Eliot Van Buskirk > > July 12, 2007 | 7:35:30 > > At today's Congressional hearing about the new rates for online radio > > that would essentially destroy it (as readers of this blog already > know), SoundExchange, which was scheduled to receive the new royalty > payments on Monday morning (since the enforcement date falls on a > Sunday), made a startling statement. > > The SoundExchange executive [Jon Simson, executive director] promised > -- > in front of Congress -- that SoundExchange will not enforce the new > royalty rates. Webcasters will stay online, as new rates are > hammered out. > > I just spoke with Pandora founder Tim Westergren, who expressed > relief > that Pandora wouldn't have to shut down on Sunday in response to the > new > rates. He said, "It was getting pretty close. I always had > underlying > optimism that sanity was going to prevail, but I was beginning to > wonder." > > He said everyone who called their Congress person about this should > feel > that they had an effect on the process: "This is a direct result of > lobbying pressure, so if anyone thinks their call didn't matter, it > did. That's why this is happening." The flyer DiMA distributed to > Congress today probably helped a bit too, but overall, it appears > Congress intervened due to pressure from web radio listeners. > > Funnily enough, Westergren told me this mere hours after a > representative of SoundExchange said > that the new rates are "etched in stone." Evidently not. > > ----- > > Update: Another source -- close to the situation although not inside > today's closed-door hearing -- confirmed the following: Pandora was > there; "progress was made"; the minimum fees are indeed off the > table; > and SoundExchange and the webcasters that were part of the Copyright > Royalty Board hearings are going to have another chat about the > rates. > > However, the source said the big question right now is whether > webcasters not part of the CRB hearing might still have to pay the > rates > set by the board, minus the minimum fees. > > Basically, this news qualifies as a reprieve, but internet radio > won't > be truly saved until negotiations result in a workable royalty rate. > > Another Update: This story has been confirmed by Kurt Hanson of RAIN. > > ----- > > Westergren had more to say, lending insight into a process that was > largely opaque to non-participants. Apparently, the per-channel > minimum > fees mandated by the Copyright Royalty Board were never taken very > seriously by those involved. They've now been taken off the table > completely, saving Pandora, Live365, and other multicasters from > their > most imminent threat. Instead, per-station minimums will be capped > at > $50,000 per year. > > "No one thought those per station fees were remotely rational. It > only > makes sense that they're being taken off the table." > > As for the Copyright Royalty Board? They're entirely cut out of the > process, having set the rates and then refused a rehearing. Going > forward without the royalties being collected, SoundExchange and > webcasters will negotiate a new royalty rate with Congress looking > over > their shoulder -- "and last but not least, the public looking over > Congress's shoulder." Alternatively, Congress now has time to > consider > the Internet Radio Equality Act, which would set webcaster royalties > at > 7.5 percent of revenue and allow them to continue operating pretty > much > as they have been. > > Either way, this is a big win for webcasters and their listeners. > Again, this is a reprieve, and internet radio can't be considered > saved > until new rates are set that everyone can live with. > > > > -- > David Solomonoff, President > Internet Society of New York > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > isoc-ny.org > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.isoc-ny.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss > --------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Consulting: http://RLKI.com Best Shopping & Travel Site: http://ThisIsMyStore.com Business & Technology News: http://TheKuperReport.com Search Jobs. Find Jobs. http://CareerHotList.com Search Jobs. Find Jobs. http://ThisIsMyStore.com/jobs.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- ____________________________________________________________________________________ Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.isoc-ny.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
