Battle Royale Is Back: NAB Rallies 119 House Members Against Royalty Bill.
Four days after radio royalty supporters reintroduced the American Music Fairness or AMFM Act in Congress, the National Association of Broadcasters has rallied 119 members of the House of Representatives to sign a pledge that they do not support a royalty on over-the-air music use.
The Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA), a nonbinding resolution that has been radio’s first line of defense against "any new performance fee, tax, royalty or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations, is out of the box in the 117th Congress signaling significant opposition to any potential broadcast radio royalty legislation.
"NAB applauds these 119 original cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act for supporting local radio listeners and stations in their districts. Broadcast radio provides a unique and irreplaceable service to listeners free of charge,” NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said in a news release. “While foreign record labels seek to line their pockets at the expense of local radio, listeners and artists, we appreciate the lawmakers standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their local radio stations in firm opposition to a new performance fee."
Once again, Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Steve Womack (R-AR) are principal cosponsors of the resolution. The two lawmakers teed up a similar pledge in May 2021. It and similar resolutions introduced in previous Congresses have garnered widespread, bipartisan support, including more than 250 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives and Senate in the last Congress.
"As a former broadcaster, I understand the important role local radio plays in the lives of Arkansans and Americans,” said Rep. Womack. “From round-the-clock news to entertainment, listeners and communities rely on broadcasts for a variety of needs. But rising fees are making it increasingly impossible to afford operations. It’s essential Congress work to protect the viability of these small businesses. My introduction of the Local Radio Freedom Act is fundamentally about ensuring people have stations to tune into when they move their dial."
"I am proud to support our local radio stations that provide vital programming and essential services across the Tampa Bay area and the country, particularly during natural disasters and emergencies,” said Rep. Castor. “The Local Radio Freedom Act reaffirms Congress's support for local radio stations and opposes new fees or taxes on local, free, broadcast radio which could jeopardize those very services upon which so many rely. Many communities have suffered the loss of local newspapers and we cannot let that happen to local radio we depend on."
No companion resolution has been introduced in the Senate although one is likely to follow.
The reintroduction of the LRFA came after the 2023 Grammy Awards returned to Los Angeles Sunday and before broadcasters from across the country are planning to descend upon Washington, DC later this month to meet with members of Congress to encourage support for local radio and the LRFA.
Last Thursday’s reintroduction of AMFM Act in the Congress was led by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) along with Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tom Tillis (R-NC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). A companion version was filed in the House sponsored by Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
See the list of the 119 House cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act HERE.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
2/07/2023 02:24:00 pm
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