The Last Days of Internet Radio?

Business Week ^ | 3/7/07 | Olga Kharif

[I_Love_My_Husband]

A decision by the Copyright Royalty Board to raise royalty fees could put some small online radio stations out of business

by Olga Kharif

Kurt Hanson runs a Chicago-based online radio station that streams more than 300 channels of classical, jazz, oldies, and other music genres aimed at adults. The station, AccuRadio, lures more than 1 million visitors a month—not bad for a startup that's only been around since 2002. If a Mar. 5 decision by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) takes effect, AccuRadio may not be around much longer.

The decision, due to take effect sometime during the next two months, could raise royalty fees paid by some online radio stations more than tenfold—enough to put many smaller stations out of business, Hanson says. Currently, most small Webcasters have paid royalties calculated as a percentage of revenue. Under the new rule, those outfits will begin paying on a per-song, per-listener basis. "The more intensively an individual service is used and consequently the more the rights being licensed are used, the more the service pays, and in direct proportion to the usage," according to the 115-page ruling.

[CyberAnt]

What about online Talk Radio ..??

[dcwusmc]

The greed of these music companies is astounding... sad.

[coydog]

Of course, that doesn't affect indies who distribute their own music or public domain stuff. All the more room for the rest of us who actually create something. I don't want RIAA's crappy music anyway.

[Syncro]

Would this effect Rightalk?

[nutmeg]

Do you know if this will affect talk radio?

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

New Media, Old Rights Ping

[Spruce]

http://www.magnatune.com

[US_MilitaryRules]

And you wonder why the politico's go after big oil? Why not these scum(Copyright Royalty Board)?

[I see my hands]

It's only a matter of time until the that bloated industry collapses and they know it. They are squirming like the rats they are.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

The Copyright Royalty Board is part of the Library Of Congress.

Here is their website:

http://www.loc.gov/crb/

I suspect it's a bunch of libtards on the board.

[Myrddin]

This ruling is one reason why many talk radio streams remove all the bumper music and commercials that normally air over broadcast radio. Those who are still using licensed music for bumpers will find alternatives with this zany per song per listener BS. There is no way to similarly measure the number of listeners to a broadcast radio station. Internet streams are unique in the ability to quantify the number of "listeners".

Podcasts are similarly stripped of elements that require a royalty.

[Bob J]

Not really, only if you play copyrighted music consistently. It's more about music radio stations.