Editor's note: RAIN will return Thursday, July 5. Happy 4th of July!
Actually, it's Forbes contributor John Villasenor who this week makes the case that not only should radio pay artists (and labels) for the music they play -- but that by maintaining an unlevel royalty playing field between broadcast, satellite, and Net radio, Congress is impeding innovation.
Broadcasters are exempt from paying royalties for sound recordings, it's argued, because their play drives record sales. And new forms of radio pay royalties because the content attracts audience and drives those businesses. But, of course, as Villasenor writes, "if airtime on traditional AM and FM stations drives sales, so, too, can exposure through cable, satellite, and Internet radio. And... playing artists who people want to hear, broadcasters of all stripes attract more listeners, and can therefore charge higher fees to their advertisers or subscribers."
Villasenor calls on Congress to end terrestrial radio's performance exemption, but, "and in some respects more importantly in the long run given the inevitable transition to digital," he wants rates to be "harmonized" across platforms. He concludes, "The government should not be stacking the deck against the newest, most compelling technologies. Saddling Internet radio with high royalty rates while giving terrestrial AM and FM stations a free pass impedes the growth of a promising new way to distribute content. And, it sends a message to would-be-entrepreneurs with ideas about how to revolutionize an industry that the playing field is far from level."
The upcoming Conclave Learning Conference will -- for the third consecutive year -- conclude with RAIN Summit Midwest. This year's conference will include a keynote presentation from radio legend Steve Dahl.
"RAIN Summits have become a fixture at Learning Conferences," said Conclave Executive Director Tom Kay. "While everything we present during the Learning Conference carries a 'can’t miss' connation, Kurt Hanson’s annual trip to tomorrow is all that, and more!"
New research predicts the popularity of tablet devices like Apple's iPad won't abate any time soon. In fact, NPD DisplaySearch expects shipments of tablets to likely outpace that of notebook computers in 2016.
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment has appointed Rick Song to the position of Executive Vice President of Digital Sales. Song has 20 years of media sales and management experience, most recently serving with Microsoft.
