Urging support of the Internet Radio Fairness Act, Pandora founder...
Urging support of the Internet Radio Fairness Act, Pandora founder Tim Westergren said in an email Tuesday. Lawmakers in the House and Senate on Friday introduced the Internet radio bill, aimed at aligning the differing broadcast platform royalty payments under…
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the same standard used to establish rates for cable and satellite radio services (CD Sept 24 p1). Westergren thinks the “bipartisan bill will correct the incredible inequity in how different digital radio formats are treated under the law when it comes to setting royalties,” he said. That difference “is quite extraordinary,” he said. Last year, for example, Pandora paid more than half its revenue in performance royalties, while Sirius XM paid less than 10 percent, he said. “As a lifelong musician, I'm fully supportive of artist compensation, but this situation can’t continue. Internet radio is bringing millions of listeners back to music, and is playing the songs of tens of thousands of promising artists who would otherwise never be heard. It should be given a fair chance to succeed.” Pandora also flexed its subscriber muscle in 2007 in a failed bid to overturn higher Copyright Royalty Board rates through legislation (CD May 2/07 p13).