Monday, May 7, 2007 SONiA Goes to Washington to Save Net Radio - We Need Your Help! - SONiA

This week started off in Washington DC as I joined with Artists, Webcasters and others to try and get Congress to step in and Save Net Radio by passing the Internet Radio Equality Act.

Usually it shows up in a song when I have an issue I feel strongly about, but I felt it necessary to change my schedule around and be on the Hill this week after reading about the increase in Internet Royalty Fees that are coming due on July 15th through the CRB ruling that came down on March 2nd. NPR and Webcasters appealed the decision and were not even granted a hearing although the ruling was not clear as to what even constituted a channel. As a songwriter and Artist I truly appreciate what Sound Exchange and the RIAA and other Performance Right Organizations (including my own which is BMI) have been able to do over the years to make sure that my songs when played are actually credited to me and then a royalty is paid for them. All of these organizations as well as ASCAP and SESAC are there for the artists.

That said...... I truly feel that the proposed fees are going to be so significant that many webcasters will be forced out of business. I met with Broadcasters from around the country this week and NPR and all of them feel that these proposed increases will put many webcasters out of business immediately. Pandora, Live 365 and AOL music are the biggest ones and even they do not know how they would afford these fees.

Many of you reading this first found my music through the internet and I love knowing that no matter where you live if I do Radio and it is streamed or a venue does a webcast that you can join us. While I want and need to get paid, one large check does not make up for losing touch with you.

Please check out the site www.savenetradio.org and see how you can help keep us connected. Live 365 and Pandora also have information on their websites. The difference is that terrestrial broadcast radio plays between 50 and 100 artists in any given week, internet radio plays an average of 6400 artists a week and some up to 33,000 each week. This new freedom of music, this diversity and upward trend of music buying on the net is in my opinion the first step in democratizing the broadcasting network. This click gives you the opportunity to tell congress that you enjoy the right to hear more. The CRB ruling needs to be vacated and a reasonable percentage needs to be used when setting the new royalty rates so that it is fair to the artists while not bankrupting the broadcasters that are playing our music.

-Grammy-nominated Sonia Rutstein is the creator of Folk-Pop duo Disappear Fear