Internet Radio might be dying soon

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/copyright-royalty-board-rejects-appeals/story.aspx?guid={D848DFF4-D20C-4EF1-8E83-A55833C13922}

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Internet radio broadcasters were dealt a setback Monday when a panel of copyright judges threw out requests to reconsider a ruling that hiked the royalties they must pay to record companies and artists.
A broad group of public and private broadcasters, including radio stations, small start-up companies, National Public Radio and major online sites like Yahoo Inc. AOL, had objected to the new royalties set March 2, saying they would force a drastic cut in services that are now enjoyed by some 50 million people.

In the latest ruling, the Copyright Royalty Board judges denied all motions for rehearing and also declined to postpone a May 15 deadline by which the new royalties will have to be collected.

However, they did grant leniency on one point, allowing the Webcasters to calculate fees by average listening hours, as they had been, as opposed to the new system of charging a royalty each time every song is heard by an online listener. That exemption counts for last year and this year. After that, the new per-song, per-listener fee structure goes into effect.

Many Webcasters say the sharply higher royalty fees will put them out of business. Talk of the ruling dominated a one-day meeting of Internet radio broadcasters being held in Las Vegas alongside the annual conference of the National Association of Broadcasters, a group representing local radio and TV stations.

My thoughts: I'm really curious to see how dire this works out for small independent internet radio stations and what's next on the recording industry's firing line.

Maybe they would not like independent stations streaming their shows???

:shrug:

Many stations already do this

I remember reading somewhere that he no longer plays songs during breaks on his webfeed, due to the uncertainty of royalties.

As for AAR, this could cause a problem during some weekend shows that play music, such as Steve Earle and Chuck D.

I didn't use it that much but whenever I did I found music I wouldnt have heard anywhere else

and do so every workday. And I agree about hearing music there that I would not have found anywhere else.

I've spent a lot of time tweaking my main Pandora station. It's just now getting really good.

it was so fun picking everyone out and then finding new stuff you never would have heard.
The letter was telling me to sign a petition to help save it... ..LOok, here's the link they sent, my email hadn't deleted it yet!!
http://capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9631541
That page doesn't say Pandora I don't think but it was Pandora that sent it to me.

:cry:

Wont help those like NPR, but others can and will move.