SaveNetRadio Day of Silence

In case you haven't noticed yet, WTSC has been broadcasting silence both over the airwaves and the web stream today. No, it isn't because lightening damaged any of the equipment or because the broadcast antenna was ran over by a bulldozer... again. This time it's intentional.

WTSC is taking part in the SaveNetRadio Coalition's day of silence. Along with numerous other webcasters, we are protesting a 300 percent increase in the royalty rates Internet radio broadcasters are required to pay. The silence over the web streams is meant to raise awareness of the issue and to provide a real sense of what Internet radio is doomed to become after July 15th of this year, at which time the 300 percent royalty rate increase will go into affect retroactively to January 1st, 2006.

This is all due to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) successfully lobbying of the Copyright Royalty Board to fatten their collective wallet. This board, which was established by Congress in May 2005, is responsible for determining royalty rates. It was their decision on March 2nd this year to implement this rate increase.

So what does this mean for you and how will silencing the webcasts for a day help? It means that your favorite Internet radio sites such as Pandora, Rhapsody... and possibly even WTSC will be unable to pay what amounts to an extortion and be forced in to bankruptcy, permanently silencing Internet radio. What the SaveNetRadio Coalition hopes to achieve with this day of silence is a public outcry that will at least strengthen the case to temporarily hold this decision up in a Court of Appeals.

There is hope, however. Right now their are two bills going through Congress that should either one pass would make Internet radio royalty rates in line with those paid by satellite radio.

You can help. First, be informed. For more information, head over to http://www.savenetradio.org. Secondly, write your congressman. Let them know that you think allowing the RIAA and CRB to force Internet radio webcasters off the "airwaves" is complete bullshit.