[WXBH-Discuss] Programmer Agreement/Internet Radio

[Mark McKinley]

**WXBH Programmers Agreement/FCC Manual Review - 6:30pm Tues, May 15th, New 
Directions Housing Corp, 1000 E. Liberty

**

Rescue Internet Radio - http://freepress.net

Act Now - Call John Yarmuth's office:  202-225-5401 (better) or local office 
582-5129
http://yarmuth.house.gov/
Tell John to support the Internet Radio Equality Act, HR2060

Spread the Word
Tell your friends to rescue Internet radio before it's too late
A ruling by an obscure regulatory agency threatens to silence thousands of 
Internet radio stations. After intense lobbying from the recording industry, 
the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) is about to mandate exponential increases 
— by as much as 1,200 percent — in royalties paid every time webcasters 
stream a song online.

If these unfair rules are allowed to go into effect on July 15, many public, 
independent and smaller Internet radio stations will have to shut down. At 
stake is the diversity of musical choice that the Internet has come to 
represent for more than 50 million listeners.

Congress must stop this bad rule and replace it with a system that both pays 
artists and fosters more diverse Internet radio programming. We must rapidly 
mobilize support for new legislation that will rescue Internet radio before 
it’s too late.

Independent musicians, webcasters and listeners are joining forces with 
members of Congress to reverse this bad decision. Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) 
and Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.) introduced the bipartisan Internet Radio 
Equality Act (H.R. 2060), which would reverse the CRB decision.

If not reversed by Congress, the CRB rule change will stifle the creative, 
independent and diverse range of musical choices now available online. 
Instead, listeners will be left with the same cookie-cutter formats that 
have turned commercial radio into a mind-numbing race to the bottom.

Industry-wide consolidation has destroyed musical diversity and shut out 
independent and local artists on broadcast radio. We can’t let the same 
thing happen on the Internet.

Inslee and Manzullo’s legislation would reverse the CRB ruling so that 
artists and musicians can thrive alongside a new generation of Internet 
radio webcasters.