[FrankR]

This is an age-old argument. I was in radio for 15 years, and detested to pay the monthly ASCAP/SESAC/BMI fees JUST for the priviledge of playing music. It was, and still is, my contention that records would go nowhere without radio exposure (before the days of videos), so they should pay us...but, it doesn't work that way. They would send out people to listen/record your station, in search of unauthorized music. There was the story of one station manager who refused to pay the SESAC fees, as very few musicians/composers were licensed through them...and lo' and behold, they used an obscure instrumental behind a commercial, and the company heard it and fined them.

[FreeTally]

was, and still is, my contention that records would go nowhere without radio(public) exposure

Thank You, sir, for bringing rational thought back in to this debate. We are being asked to pay ASCAP so that they(the artists) have a means to make money. Its like asking race car drivers to pay for the sponsors name on the car.

[tdadams]

It was, and still is, my contention that records would go nowhere without radio exposure

And without their records to play, radio stations wouldn't have anything to play.