Silent Protest
Tomorrow, Tuesday June 26, many web radiocasters will fall silent, in protest of the music royalty rate hikes that they claim will put many out of business entirely and drastically chnage the way those that remain offer services. Cecily Mak on FindLaw has a great article recapping the whole issue.
The silence is not just in protest, but also in support of changes being considered by Congress that would bring the royalty rates to a level similar to those imposed on the satellite radio industry, which is considerably lower than the new internet rates going into effect in less than a month.
The problem with the silence is that very few decision makers will notice on their own. And I have little faith that the people who listen to internet radio will talk about the silence loudly enough and to the right people for it to have an impact.
I hope they prove me wrong.
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