I can only hope this will alert many to the war-like campaign being conducted against the consumer by the RIAA.
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/8780/Tired+of+students+and+grandmothers%2C+the+RIAA+now+going+after+radioNo doubt looking for any way it can shore up decreasing revenue amid slumping CD sales, the RIAA and several artists' groups are nor going after radio broadcasters to collect additional royalties from aired music.
"The creation of music is suffering because of declining sales," said RIAA Chief Executive Mitch Bainwol. "We clearly have a more difficult time tolerating gaps in revenues that should be there."
Radio broadcasters already compensate composers and publishers but, never before have they had to pay royalties to artists or record labels. Since the airplay of albums spurs sales, they have long enjoyed a federal exemption that allows them to avoid paying any royalties.
"Congress has always recognized that broadcasters generate enormous sums of revenue to record companies and artists in terms of airplay," said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton. Radio stations also have public-interest obligations that satellite and Internet broadcasters don't have to worry about, he said
I think with this rather stupid mentality we can look forward to a new period of creativity once the RIAA goes broke, of course that will take a while, but it seems they have the idea folks are going to purchase music without hearing it first. I know of only a small proportion of folks who would buy something without listening to it and that's when the artist is already established, for fledgling groups/artists using radio as a launchpad I can see the death knell already.
Whilst I am willing to believe CD sales are dropping as licenced downloaded audio and ring tone revenues rapidly increase, it would be nice if they reported that fact rather than try to blame piracy for the consequences of their own business practices, misleading their customers is not likely to build a solid and reasonable body of trust for the future.
