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The Day the Music Died
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Posted by: laborat
Things to consider while I cancel my Bose Web Radio order:
This from reading about it at ABC.com: In a recent High Crooked Court ruling, the RIAA (Big Record Companies) got a favorable bribed court descision allowing them to collect royalties from Web Broadcasts and ReBroadcasts. This has severe implications for free Web Based Radio both from a financial and ability to play what they want perspective.
In fact, Broadcasters, (Radio and Webbys), denounced the ruling as unconscionable and unfair. Why would they be upset? Well for one thing the decision goes back to 1996 retroactively, and applys to all Webcasts. For another, it marks the first time that Stations have had to pay royalties to Record Companys. (They usually just pay the publishers and authors) Thirdly, it is also a blow to INDIE music because it will certainly become like the real Radio Stations now, who won't accept unknown bands not on a major label.
We have seen the shaking out in recent years of BIG BUCKS Industry clout in the Napster decisions and other muscle flexing in the MP3 arena. This latest ruling now means that if YOU had your own little Web Radio Station broadcasting your favorite tunes to your neighborhood or school... you may have to cough up some major dough for the amount of time you were in operation and to keep operating or risk legal battles and court dates.
In fact they (the Broadcasters) Claim that it will lead to a wholesale abandoment of Web Based Broadcasts leaving just a few who have the monies to pay the Record Companies...Not surprisingly, those Companys that can afford to pay are actually part of International Media Conglomerates that have Major Lables in their stable... surprise surprise.... AOL Time Warner, SONY, and the other Dinosaurs. I doubt for a moment that their web casts will be anything but self serving and promoting only those artists who are on major lables...Say good bye to INDIE music. Say Goodbye to OutLaw Artistic Expression.
Of an estimated 'Tens of Thousands' doing Webcasting, when it is all said and done, there will be only the HAVES left standing and the have-nots forced to employ gypsy like pirate radio to have any chance at all at getting the REAL music out. AOL/Time Warner and its Spinner.com can afford to run Webcasts at a loss simply because it means more folks will become AOL users. Clear Channel has reduced its number of stations running Webcasts and is uncertain what the future might hold for it continuing to Webcast.
The decision directs the Copyright Office to establish royalites consistant with that paid by the Industry now. In essence it becomes a free market economy with demand and supply setting the final rates.
Now I don't know what you think about all this, but it occurs to me that there is a wholesale Land Grab going on with Corporations paying big bucks to our government (lobbyists again) to insure that all the Gateways to FREE expression have toll booths. It will become harder and harder for College and High School Web stations to stay on the air without major subsidies and who offers those subsidies...???? MAJOR RECORD COMPANYS!!!! duh. If you are an INDIE lable or a small band hoping to get some promo out.. you may well be screwed. (at least until you sign on the dotted line to some intermediate shark)
Who needs payola when you lease to own the airwaves?
Remember this date -- August 1st... the day the WebCast Music Died.
Posted by: Bishop
damn.
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