> According to the conspiracy theorists (of which I am kind of one...) > that is the whole point: > > Stop people from tuning in radio stations outside their listening > area.
I think there may be something to this. And, please add in the recent action of the US Copyright office. They set rates for streaming audio, retroactive to January 2006. If I read this right, the rate is 1.9 cents US for every listener, every song. One song, 1,000 listeners, nineteen bucks. That's far more than probably every station/programmer makes on internet radio. Internet radio was growing at a phenomenal rate when several money-based hurdles were erected. First, AFTRA refused to allow any union-voiced commercials to play over the stream unless some significant added fees were paid. So, ad replacement became common. Second, when the RIAA/ASCAP/BMI/SESAC fees were first announced, many streams and streaming providers simply shut down. Despite the growing demand, they had to quit. Now this last and absolutely over the top fee was announced. Had they simply left it alone, streaming would be ten times or more larger than it is, and probably generating more revenue than these idiotic fees will ever amount to. Stupid.. Many of my clients are going to shut streams down, or move overseas beyond the reach of US law. Or, make the streams "private" to prevent any accounting by outside entities. Listen to the stream without authorization, get charged under the US DCMA anti-hacking laws. No RIAA representatives need apply. > I knew there was something odd about American AM Radio when > I was tuning around the dial at sunrise this fall (on the West Coast) > and swished the dial past seven spots on the dial (picking up about 3 or 4 states > in the process...), hearing the EXACT same programming (Coast to Coast radio...) That's common in many places. CBC, BBC, take your pick. However, it still is bad radio. > Let's face it ladies and gentlemen - the days of chasing a 250W station in > Kansas on a graveyard frequency, running a local farm report are almost gone. Yup. > Who knows what will happen. Maybe the end isn't near. Maybe enough > people will eschew this crap and the equipment will be phased out > after a few years. > Let's cross our fingers. I'm still waiting for some complaint by Canada over interference to their stations by US IBOC. Craig Healy Providence, RI _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
