Genuine cooperation between America’s two main political parties is rare, but when it occurs, something important is usually at stake. Such is the case with the Internet Radio Equality Act, sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat, and Senator Sam Brownback, a Republican.
This legislation would, according to a press release on the matter, “save Internet radio from a recent royalty hike that threatens to bankrupt the industry.” The threat: “a Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) decision to increase fees webcasters pay to play music online by a devastating 300 to 1200 percent.”
All right, so the language they’ve used is a little overblown, but it’s for a good cause. If you doubt the importance of this issue, visit SaveNetRadio.org, where there are testimonials from around 400 different artists.
And the Roots Music Organization, “an international organization representing more than 2200 independent artists and labels,” has said, “[W]e are very pleased by the introduction of the Internet Radio Equality Act in the Senate today.”
It looks like the Roots Music Organization has a lot to be pleased about; given the forces amassed by opponents of the CRB decision, vacating it may not be too hard.
In fact, “companion legislation” to the Internet Radio Equality Act has been introduced (again, by one Democrat and one Republican), and it “has already garnered the support of more than 60 cosponsors.”
Given the current political climate, Democrats and Republicans can be expected to disagree on just about every issue. Since they’ve teamed up to support the Internet Radio Equality Act, well . . . it may deserve your backing, too.
