Where’s the music?

The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Music royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on July 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!).

To protest these rates and encourage you to take action and contact your Congressional representatives, we are taking part in the Day of Silence, by silencing our programming for today.

We ask that you excuse the interruption of our normal programming, and ask that you take action to help ensure this silence is not permanent. Please call your Congressional Representatives today. Click the link below for instructions how:

http://capwiz.com/saveinternetradio

Thank you.

( kcrw is airing a one-hour looped program on the subject click the image below)

Webcasters are supporting the Internet Radio Equality Act, which has garnered bipartisan support in the House as well as the Senate. In addition, they have filed appeals and a request for a stay with the US District Court in Washington, DC.

If none of these tactics succeed, webcasters will be required to send checks to Sound Exchange, the collection agency for the record companies and the artists, on July 15. Rates are retroactive to 2006.

KCRW General Manager Ruth Seymour joins Pandora, Live365, Yahoo, AccuRadio, SomaFM, indie webcaster BAGeL Radio and public radio station WAMU/Washington, DC to describe the effects that the new rates will have on their ability to stream and to serve audiences online.