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Internet Radio Allowed to Negotiate with Music Industry
House passes bill that could keep web radio alive

Internet radio webcasters like Pandora have been struggling to stay in business because exorbitant royalty revenues mandated by Congress last year are making it too difficult to keep on operating. However, they’ve gained a small victory this weekend as the House of Representatives has approved a bill allowing them to negotiate a lower royalty rate with the entertainment industry. There had originally been strong opposition to this bill by the National Association of Broadcasters but that opposition has been dropped and it is believed that the Senate will likely approve the bill without problems. If the Senate does quickly approve the bill, it is believed that a deal for lower royalty rates could be worked out as early as next month.

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gate1975mlm
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Philadelphia, PA

gate1975mlm

Premium Member

Great News!

Its about time!

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH

tschmidt

MVM

Re: Great News!

Agree - I've never understood why Internet "radio" stations had to pay higher royalties then traditional stations.

/tom
Maggs
Premium Member
join:2002-11-29
Jackson Heights, NY

Maggs

Premium Member

Re: Great News!

Tom the NAB is a monopoly, if you crush the internet radio stations, what will you start listening to again. Yes, that's terrestrial radio!

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt

MVM

Re: Great News!

said by Maggs:

NAB is a monopoly, if you crush the internet radio stations,
Interesting I didn't realize this was a NAB issue I though it was RIAA. Record industry worried about digital transmission/copying.

Makes sense NAB is in the game trying to crush competition.

/tom
SipSizzurp
Fo' Shizzle
Premium Member
join:2005-12-28
Houston, TX

1 recommendation

SipSizzurp

Premium Member

Re: Great News!

said by tschmidt:

Makes sense NAB is in the game trying to crush competition.
/tom
Heh ! I am streaming and simultaneously ripping a foreign Disco radio station, and re-broadcasting on 98.1 FM with a 5 watt transmitter. Nice solid 3 mile range in full stereo. Piss on these greed mongers. My neighbors tell me all the time how much they like the music. America is great if you know yer way around !

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

3 edits

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Great News!

said by SipSizzurp:
said by tschmidt:

Makes sense NAB is in the game trying to crush competition.
/tom
Heh ! I am streaming and simultaneously ripping a foreign Disco radio station, and re-broadcasting on 98.1 FM with a 5 watt transmitter. Nice solid 3 mile range in full stereo. Piss on these greed mongers. My neighbors tell me all the time how much they like the music. America is great if you know yer way around !

By transmitting at that strength on the FM band you are breaking FCC regulations. Is 98.1 FM a station that already exists in your area? If so, you could be interfering with that broadcast in your immediate area.

Unlicensed operation on the AM and FM radio broadcast bands is permitted for some extremely low powered devices covered under Part 15 of the FCC's rules. On FM frequencies, these devices are limited to an effective service range of approximately 200 feet (61 meters).

See this for FCC rules:
»www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engi ··· 3rev.pdf
If a home-built Part 15 transmitter does cause interference to licensed
radio communications, the Commission will require its operator to cease operation
until the interference problem is corrected. Furthermore, if the Commission determines
that the operator of such a transmitter has not attempted to ensure compliance with the
Part 15 technical standards by employing good engineering practices then that operator
may be fined up to $10,000 for each violation
and $75,000 for a repeat or continuing
violation.

SipSizzurp
Fo' Shizzle
Premium Member
join:2005-12-28
Houston, TX

SipSizzurp

Premium Member

Re: Great News!

10 Grand ? That's pocket change. $75 G might make me re-consider, but so far the FCC seems to be real busy with other stuff.....

Donna Summers to FFH5

Anon

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

On FM frequencies, these devices are limited to an effective service range of approximately 200 feet (61 meters).
What page is that on ? On page 24 there is a formula for power. It is P=0.3E squared. Looks like he can use even more power than he has now.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Great News!

said by Donna Summers :
said by FFH5:

On FM frequencies, these devices are limited to an effective service range of approximately 200 feet (61 meters).
What page is that on ? On page 24 there is a formula for power. It is P=0.3E squared. Looks like he can use even more power than he has now.

A different section of FCC.Goc web site:

»www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/lowpwr.html
UNLICENSED OPERATION

The next four sections cover the permitted forms of unlicensed operation in the AM band (535 to 1705 kHz) and FM band (88 to 108 MHz), and explain the penalties which may be assessed against those forms of unlicensed operation which do not fall within the permitted forms of unlicensed operation.

PART 15 DEVICES

Unlicensed operation on the AM and FM radio broadcast bands is permitted for some extremely low powered devices covered under Part 15 of the FCC's rules. On FM frequencies, these devices are limited to an effective service range of approximately 200 feet (61 meters).
Expand your moderator at work
mickspace
join:2008-02-19
Saint Petersburg, FL

mickspace to SipSizzurp

Member

to SipSizzurp
Get yourself some repeaters, spread them every where keeping it at the lower frequency (not sure if it would work but hey why not?)… here is something of interest… prometheus radio project...
»www.prometheusradio.org

Mactron
el Camino Real
Premium Member
join:2001-12-16
PRK

Mactron to gate1975mlm

Premium Member

to gate1975mlm
History says anything involving the NAB will surely be bad for consumers. We'll see...

Glaice
Brutal Video Vault
Premium Member
join:2002-10-01
North Babylon, NY

Glaice

Premium Member

Re: Great News!

It always has been because they care about $$$$ just like the MAFIAA.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to gate1975mlm

Premium Member

to gate1975mlm
Good news maybe Internet Radio can get fair prices rather then that Illegal Extortion that SoundExchange wants atm.
Kearnstd

Kearnstd to gate1975mlm

Premium Member

to gate1975mlm
more power to pirate radio. however id say if you could do it portable you would be safer, if the FCC wants they can triangulate. broadcast from somewhere different everyday and you are set.
bbenso1
join:2004-11-28
Baltimore, MD

1 recommendation

bbenso1

Member

This is what Congress is working on this weekend?

Now I agree that this is an important issue and something that absolutely should be addressed. However, what happened to that whole economic crisis? Remember the people saying that if we don't act immediately to bail out these banks and investment companies that our economic system will collapse?

Since Congress had time this weekend to discuss and vote on a bill related to internet radio, I can only assume that the entire bailout issue has been completely resolved and there is a plan ready to be implemented first thing Monday morning. Oh wait, there isn't a plan yet? I guess they're lying to us once again and it's not really that much of an emergency. I'm so sick of our government.
45612019 (banned)
join:2004-02-05
New York, NY

45612019 (banned)

Member

Re: This is what Congress is working on this weekend?

said by bbenso1:

Now I agree that this is an important issue and something that absolutely should be addressed. However, what happened to that whole economic crisis? Remember the people saying that if we don't act immediately to bail out these banks and investment companies that our economic system will collapse?

Since Congress had time this weekend to discuss and vote on a bill related to internet radio, I can only assume that the entire bailout issue has been completely resolved and there is a plan ready to be implemented first thing Monday morning. Oh wait, there isn't a plan yet? I guess they're lying to us once again and it's not really that much of an emergency. I'm so sick of our government.
Heaven forbid someone in Congress knows how to multitask...
bbenso1
join:2004-11-28
Baltimore, MD

bbenso1

Member

Re: This is what Congress is working on this weekend?

said by 45612019:

Heaven forbid someone in Congress knows how to multitask...
They may know how to multitask, but the time to multitask is not during "the greatest economic crisis since the great depression" as they keep labeling this current issue. My point again is that if this is really the crisis they claim it to be then it should be the absolute, 100% top priority until it is resolved. They say it requires immediate action and if immediate action is not taken our entire economy is doomed. Seems like a good time to focus on that one emergency and get it fixed.

I'm all for multitasking, but there are times when it's just not appropriate.
voipdabbler
join:2006-04-27
Kalispell, MT

voipdabbler

Member

Unfortunately, timing is everything.

Having worked the Hill, all I can say is that it's too little, too late. Congress wants to leave town ASAP; they had planned on leaving last week. I don't see the Senate taking up this bill; there's just not time. That means the House bill will be dead. A new Congress will be sworn in in January and this battle will have to start from scratch in the new Congress, i.e., new bill(s) introduced, taken up by Committee or language added to a bill on the floor of either chamber, passage in identical form by both houses, bill signed in to law by the President.

n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

n2jtx

Member

Re: Unfortunately, timing is everything.

said by voipdabbler:

Having worked the Hill, all I can say is that it's too little, too late. Congress wants to leave town ASAP; they had planned on leaving last week. I don't see the Senate taking up this bill; there's just not time.
Unless it gets wrapped up into an omnibus package. There is a bunch of other stuff going on this weekend that may put it all together.

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY

1 recommendation

Transmaster

Member

NAB = Clear Channel

There was indeed objection from the RIAA, they object to anything digital they don't have complete control of, it amount to obsession with these crooks. They have been very quiet recently however with the passage of this law I suspect they will start to make noise again.

When you look a the NAB Clear Channel is the largest stateside broadcast radio streamer on the internet most of their stations, and least in the larger markets stream, and like their on the air station you have a hard time telling them apart. The only diversity in streaming radio are the public radio stations, and the independents People recognize this and there is the off shore stations. Clear Channel can not do anything about the off shore streamers, and not much about the public broadcast stations but traditional broadcaster seem to think anyone but them are pirates they sure would like to do anything they can to destroy them.

Pissed off percy
@bethere.co.uk

Pissed off percy

Anon

pissed off percy

This is great news.. and while they are at it, tell the PRS in the UK to let Pandora operate over here again. Im miss it! Pandora introduced me to acts I had never heard of before and made me buy music as a DIRECT outcome of me listening to it.

Pissed off Pandora listener
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd

Premium Member

Re: pissed off percy

wont ever happen, money matters more to the record goons then entertaining fans who might go buy CDs after hearing it on Pandora.

ctceo
Premium Member
join:2001-04-26
South Bend, IN

ctceo

Premium Member

Crap

This is the kind of publicity that causes people to rip and copy music. The more greedy they act, the more music that is going to get (so called) illegally distributed.

If what I listen to has commercials in it, I won't listen to it. I will search, as will most others, until I find a commercial free source, whatever that source may be! Even on Internet radio stations, the second I hear a commercial, I change the station or mute the sound.

It's time we start sending these companies bills for our time to listen to their commercial crap! If I need something that is normally advertised, as do many others, I do not find it by waiting for a random commercial on my favorite radio/tv station, I look for what I need, and promptly stop looking once I find it. This is why I wonder why some entities even advertise or waste money on commercials when it simply isn't necessary if ever for them to do so.
rid0617
join:2003-07-20
Greer, SC

1 recommendation

rid0617

Member

Re: Crap

"It's time we start sending these companies bills for our time to listen to their commercial crap! If I need something that is normally advertised, as do many others, I do not find it by waiting for a random commercial on my favorite radio/tv station, I look for what I need, and promptly stop looking once I find it. This is why I wonder why some entities even advertise or waste money on commercials when it simply isn't necessary if ever for them to do so."

Exactly why I refuse to watch any television other than PBS. Got tired of paying $50+ a month for satellite service so I could watch 12 minutes of commercials every 30 minutes. Except for PBS HDTV my television makes a great DVD monitor.

ARGONAUT
Have a nice day.
Premium Member
join:2006-01-24
New Albany, IN

ARGONAUT

Premium Member

Deregulation for lack of choice

Another monopoly made by deregulation.