It's time congress stops listening to big business and
starts responding to common sense. Yes,
I said "Congress" and the phrase
"common sense" in one sentence. Since your heart stopped when that
happened, let me explain. (Even more the
need to explain as I'm posting this during a partial government shutdown.)
Yet another effort to 'tax' local radio for playing music
has surfaced in Congress. You'll find information posted from the Michigan Association of
Broadcasters and links on our facebook page.
The recording industry is crying "poverty" on the
backs of local radio nationwide, and
wants us to pay to play the music for you, beyond what we already
pay! You may not be aware, but for years
and years, radio stations have paid the publishers of the songs we play,
via the big three licensing organizations, BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC. Stations providing a streaming service, as we
do, also pay the recording industry through an organization called 'Soundexchange'. Artists, on the other hand are traditionally paid by their recording companies, by the public attending concerts, and the sale of the artists' music on CDs and downloads. Radio, meanwhile brings that same music ('advertising' it) to the public's ears, FREE.
We buy our own music. It is not provided by the music
industry. We pay for the electricity to play it, the talent to introduce it,
and the FCC licenses that bring it to the general public at no charge to
you the listener!
This proposed financial
load on local radio is just not possible! Many stations like WION serve our communities
24/7 on a minimal staff, producing "radio miracles" that are visible
in our in raising money for local
causes, helping local businesses survive with creative, lively advertising, and
in providing live and local information in times of local emergencies. Smaller, local stations excel in all these
fields even better than big-city stations, and we're the ones that will be hurt
the most by a "performance tax."
Speaking as a smaller station, we can't just
'appropriate" money from somewhere in our budget to feed the latest music
industry stars, because they want larger
buses, better houses, and more guitars!
The music industry seems to think local radio can be a source of "easy money" to
them.
On the contrary!
We, as local stations are called on more and more each year
to operate on smaller staff sizes, to produce our craft heavily utilizing
multi-tasking, and investing in extra technical help to squeeze more
years out of our existing broadcasting
equipment, all of which we're expected
to do while still providing outstanding
service to you! Every year our regulatory fees to the FCC go up, and every year
our costs to run all the "gizmos" that bring you your favorite
station go up, too.
In WION's case, you know
as listeners, our station has increased our service to you over the
past 5 to 10 years, even in the face of a poor economy! Instead of cutting back, this small town station has added
streaming and mobile apps, a new fm signal, beautiful am-stereo, bigger
coverage, better online presence, and more involvement in the local community.
Please help us fight "big business" (in this case,
the music industry) at our small-town local level and preserve the element of "Americana " provided by your hometown having a station that cares about you
and your community.
Contact your federal legislators. Thank the ones who are
signed on to the "Local Radio FreedomAct" and let those not on that list know that you value your local
radio station and want it left unburdened by unfair financial bullying from the
music industry. We work hard for you,
and hope you'll do the same for us with an e-mail, call, or letter to support local
radio and defeat any effort at what amounts to a "performance
tax."
If a radio station can be forced to pay for playing songs, your
business could be in line for the next outrageous tax, and we'd like to
still be here to help you when that happens!
