Thursday, June 14, 2007: This Week in News

Webcasting


Major Webcasters to face billions in new fees? The CEOs of the four leading internet radio broadcasters, RealNetworks, Yahoo, Pandora, and Live365, say the new annual $500/channel administrative fee would force their companies alone to pay $1 billion per year to SoundExchange ­ without including actual royalty payments.
by Anne Broache, CNET, June 7, 2007

Web spinners and royalty collectors
Why should webcasters have to pay royalties to labels and performers when local broadcasters don't? If an online station builds a business around music, what share of the revenues should go to the copyright owners? Publisher Kurt Hanson and Recording Artists' Coalition attorney Jay Rosenthal debate the webcasting rates over three days of posts.
Los Angeles Times, June 11-13, 2007

Indecency

FCC Needs a Pacifier, His Commission Needs a Clue
FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin uses profanity multiple times in a press release reacting to the court's decision on FCC's arbitrary indecency standards.
by Ryan Blethen, Seattle Times, June 8, 2007

Net Neutrality

The Deciders of Network Neutrality
Major politicians are becoming more vocal in the debate on net neutrality. VoIP gives a quick summary on the members of Congress and 2008 Presidential candidates who have been active on the issue.
by Robert Poe, VoIP News, June 13, 2007

Is Content Filtering the New DRM?
The LA Times is reporting that AT&T plans to filter copyright infringing content from their networks. Michael Geist questions if this is the proper solution to copyright problems and points to the risk of filtering legitimate content.
by Michael Geist, Michael Geist blog, June 13, 2007

Maine is the First State in Nation to Pass Net Neutrality Resolution
Maine passes a resolution that explicitly affirms the importance of net neutrality to small businesses, to consumers, and to democracy in general. With this resolution, Main sets the precedent for other states to pass legislation to preserve net neutrality and pressures the federal government to recognize it as a national issue.
Maine Civil Liberties Union, June 12, 2007

Sen. Kerry: Open the Airwaves for a Better Internet
Senator John Kerry expressed support to make the Internet "more competitive, affordable and widespread" in a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. He joins a slew of politicians, including Presidential candidate John Edwards, who have spoken up on the upcoming 700mhz auction.
by Timothy Karr, SavetheInternet.com, June 12, 2007

Radio

Civil Rights and Rural Groups Rush to Endorse XM/Sirius Merger
The proposed XM-Sirius merger, which would create a monopoly on satellite radio in the U.S., has been endorsed by civil rights and rural groups. These groups claim that without the merger, satellite radio will fail and eliminate the niche programming that commercial radio does not provide.
by Matthew Lasar, Lasar's Letter, June 10, 2007

NAB Ramps Up Anti XM/Sirius Merger Efforts
NAB lets the world know its feelings about the proposed merger with a banner outside of its Washington headquarters, which reads "Do the Math: XM + Sirius = Monopoly."
Broadcasting and Cable, July 14, 2007

Big Radio Makes a Grab for Internet Listeners
Corporate radio is finally realizing that it must interact with listeners via internet to combat the "erosion of listeners who are turning to iPods, podcasts and other sources for entertainment."
by Jeff Leeds, New York Times, June 12, 2007

The Black Stake in Low Power Community Radio With the help of the Prometheus Radio Project, WMXP, a low power radio station operated by the Malcom X Grassroots Organization, began broadcasting its signal in Greenville, North Carolina on Sunday. WMXP can now serve the interests of the local community that have been largely ignored by corporate broadcasters.
by Bruce Dixon, Black Agenda Report, June 13, 2007

Music Industry

Apple Sparks London-Based iTunes Festival
Apple has jumped into the live music promotion business, getting behind a month-long series of shows at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts. Artists like Amy Winehouse, Mika, Travis and Stereophonics will play to audiences of roughly 350 throughout July.
Digital Music News, June 12, 2007

The Bon Jovi Bundle
In an unprecedented move, Bon Jovi has bundled digital sales of his album Lost Highway pre-sale tickets to an upcoming show.
Coolfer Blog, June 8, 2007

The CD Is Dead? Make That The CD Store. Coolfer comments on a recent Huffington Post article that argues the CD is dead. Coolfer says the format's not dead, but the CD store is.
Coolfer Blog, June 11, 2007

Copyright Law

New Artist Bloc to Fight for Airplay Pay Some of the music industry's most recognizable names are signing up for what likely will be a bruising legislative battle as they attempt to win a change in the law that would force broadcasters to pay a public performance right.
by Brooks Boliek, Hollywood Reporter, June 14, 2007

Treating Downloads Like Drug Deals
The Department of Justice proposes alarming methods of punishing copyright infringement, including the destruction of "'any property used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit or facilitate' infringement."
by Gigi B. Sohn, Business Week, June 5, 2007