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Small Webcaster Community Initiative
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Current Issues
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Call to Action: Web Radio Will Go Silent Without Your Help!
On Wednesday afternoon, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied all Webcasters' motions for stay of the 2006-2010 royalty rates and terms.
This means that with only a few days remaining before the July 15 deadline, we really need to turn the heat up in Congress. Otherwise, starting Monday morning you will see a rapid decline of streaming music services as Webcasters large and small go silent one by one.
Are you a loyal fan of Internet radio? If so, then we really need your assistance! Please telephone your Representative and Senators urging them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act today. Even if they've already pledged their support for H.R. 2060 or S. 1353, pressure them to call for an immediate floor vote of this bill.
\t[url]http://www.savenetradio.org/[/url]
Please understand, this is not the time to be complacent. Every single voice counts. However, we can only be heard if we speak up loud and clear to the people that matter. Our lawmakers must understand the importance that Internet radio plays in the lives of the American people -- and in particular, their constituents.
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Call to Action: Online Radio 'Day of Silence' Makes Comeback
On Tuesday, June 26 thousands of Internet radio stations around the nation will go silent to protest the Copyright Royalty Board Decision of March 2, 2007.
\t[url]http://www.kurthanson.com/dos/[/url]
We urge all small Webcasters to participate in this important campaign by suspending your regular music programming and instead airing the following public service announcements in combination with occasional periods of silence.
\t[url]http://www.savenetradio.org/act_now/link_kit.html[/url]
Also, be sure to update your Websites to reflect the day's activities, including a prominent hyperlink to the SaveNetRadio homepage so that listeners are encouraged to contact their Representatives and Senators.
\t[url]http://www.savenetradio.org/[/url]
Small Webcaster Community Initiative will be redesigning its MySpace profile in recognition of the Day of Silence. We intend to showcase the outstanding diversity in music programming offered by small Webcasters across services like Live365, LoudCity, and SWCast Network -- all of which will be forced to shutdown if these royalty rates and terms are not overturned prior to Monday, July 16.
\t[url]http://www.smallwebcasters.org/[/url]
Thank you for your continued support.
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Call to Action: The Time Is Now to Save Internet Radio
The results are in. The Copyright Royalty Board wants to raise the royalty rates for all Internet radio stations nationwide retroactive to January 2006. Judges not only rejected proposals from industry experts in Webcasting, but they expressed an overall lack of concern for those businesses whose livelihood is directly dependent on Webcasting.
Small commercial Webcasters that previously paid royalties based on a percentage-of-revenue model, will instead be subjected to the burdensom "pay-per-play" model. Non-commercial Webcasters and simulcasters will face similarly exorbitant royalty rates. In addition, a $500 annual fee will be levied upon individual stations -- that alone could effectively shutdown services like Live365, Mercora, and SomaFM that offer multiple streams of music programming.
Please take a moment to contact each of your senators and representatives in Washington, D.C. Be sure to emphasize the need for immediate political action. It is imperative that our elected officials understand the plight of our community, so that they can launch an internal investigation. There will be very real and very devastating ecomonic consequences if this royalty rate increase is allowed to proceed unchecked.
If you can, also prepare a press release for submission to local, regional, and national news outlets. Expose this royalty rate hike for the injustice that it is. The more media coverage we can get during the coming few days, the greater the momentum we'll have to take this to the next level -- Capitol Hill.
There is an opportunity for all of us to make signficant headway prior to the appeals process. While, it may no longer be possible for the public to forestall the new royalty rates, our lawmakers, if they are well informed, can push an interim bill through Congress to provide Webcasters with much needed relief from the CRB decision.
Please find the contact information for your Congresspeople below:
[url]http://www.cdt.org/action/contactcongress.html[/url]
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Call to Action: Oppose the Perform Act of 2007
There is a very dangerous piece of legislation in the works known as the Perform Act of 2007. It designed to curb the fair-use rights of music consumers and stifle technological innovation in streaming radio. This Act alone will undoubtedly open the floodgates for future regulation of all new-media platforms in the United States.
Imagine being forced to use only highly-proprietary software and codecs to listen to all of your favourite Internet radio stations. Say good bye to WinAmp. Say hello to Windows Media Player and RealPlayer.
That's right. The Recording Industry Association of America, with the support of Senators Feinstein, Graham, Biden, and Alexander, wants to impose strict Digital Rights Management in all online broadcasts operating under statutory license. In doing so, the record labels will be able to more effectively police the habits of listeners. Meanwhile, Microsoft and RealNetworks, both of whom have a substantial stake in the online entertainment industry, will gain yet another victory.
Thankfully, the Webcaster community scored a successful hit last year by halting this bill in its tracks. But, the RIAA is still determined to set a new precedent in how we use -- or rather how they control all of the music that we so often enjoy.
Please, take a moment to share your thoughts about bill S. 256 with our lawmakers. It is important that we take action now.
[url]http://action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=221[/url]
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Jazz / News Feeds 
