A broad-based effort by a number of webcasters, both large and small, will replace programming on the streams with "A Day Of Silence", in protest of the...well, we'll let webcast guru Kurt Hanson and his "RAIN: Radio And Internet Newsletter" tell the story:
On Tuesday, June 26, thousands of U.S.-based webcasters plan to turn off the music and go silent in a unified effort to draw attention to an impending royalty rate increase that, if implemented, would lead to the virtual shutdown of this country's Internet radio industry.
Internet-only webcasters and broadcasters that simulcast online will alert their listeners that "silence" is what Internet radio may be reduced to after July 15th, the day on which 17 months' worth of retroactive royalty payments -- at new, exceedingly high rates -- are due to the SoundExchange collection organization, following a recent Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) decision.
Some major broadcast groups - including Saga Communications, which owns stations in Ohio - are joining up for the event. A number of big public radio outlets, small stations and independent webcasters are also in the mix today.
But a well-known, independent local broadcaster here in Northeast Ohio is also going silent on the Internet for a day.
It's the area's classical music outlet, WCLV/104.9.In a note posted on the station's website this morning, WCLV warns of what would happen if the larger fees take hold:
The fees being charged by the record companies could bring to an end WCLV's Internet transmission of its many classical music programs, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Symphonycast, and concerts from Oberlin, Baldwin-Wallace and CIM.
Like the other webcasters, WCLV asks concerned web listeners to write their member of Congress. The specific goal is to urge support of the "Internet Radio Equality Act", a proposed measure which has garnered support from both sides of the political aisle.
For at least some tech-savvy WCLV listeners in Cleveland's far eastern suburbs and beyond, the Internet stream of the station's programming has been the only way to hear it in recent years.
Of course, in the Great Frequency Swap of 2001, WCLV moved off of the Cleveland-licensed 95.5 signal - now occupied by Salem's WFHM "The Fish" - to the Lorain-licensed 104.9 class A signal now coming from a tower in eastern Lorain County, in Avon just west of the Cuyahoga County line.
We don't have a list of other, smaller Ohio broadcasters and webcasters going silent today, so feel free to add your own outlet to the comments section if you're participating...
13 comments:
more good info on this at rdndaily.com, gormanmediablog.blogspot.com, kurthanson.com
i have not heard anything mentioned about this on local radio or tv. the only coverage i saw was a somewhat misleading story on cnbc yesterday.
my feeling is that radio stations would just as soon have these royalties become law and shut down the expense of streaming entirely.
WAPS/91.3 The Summit is silent today as well.
I agree that radio stations would secretly like to see internet radio go away so they can promote their HD radio. Even if internet radio is shut down no one or should I say few would be interested in HD radio. The programming is even worse than terestrial radio.
WZKL is silent today.
And we all know what will be next if the little guys get shut down: next will be radio itself for additional payments to the RIAA in addition to the ASCAP/BMI/SESAC royalties they already pay.
Looks like a few stations (WZKL,WAPS) know what's happening
I am amazed that the broadcast media has been all but silent on this subject. Are alot of broadcasters (corporate giants) cheering for the increase in internet radio royalties as a way to squelch competionion from non traditional music outlets?
101.7 is off the air. Not the stream, the air signal. Sounds like a CD skipping, but I would doubt anyone is there.
I first heard it about half hour ago. I think they are going for what you usually hear in Canton this time of night. You could crank that mother up and really frighten the neighbors!
Don't forget about the college radio stations too! WCSB, WJCU, and WRUW also went silent.
I took my internet radio station (XmusicOnline.Com) silent for 24 hours (we ran PSA's about Save Net Radio dot org)
The thing a lot of folks including Radio broadcasters dont understand is that the SX (Sound Exchange) is now wanting to force high rates on Internet broadcasters that are just not reasonable under the current market conditions, but they are also trying to push to have the rules change so that they can collect rates off AM/FM broadcasters over the air signals too like they presently do for Satellite radio and Internet radio.
I have no problems paying royalty fees but it needs to be a fair rate that I can keep my station running (I make 0$ presently from this)
The CD skipping on 101.7 went on for hours. Another example of poor programming and cost cutting by the cheap corporate radio losers.
Maggi Fuller "Announced" her leaving last Friday, NOT Tuesday.
Stan Piatt is a God of Morning radio.....Bob Golic is a local hero and Howie Chizek created "No Guest" talk radio 33 years ago and is the 31 rated host in Ohio....6 days a week is a tough work schedule for anyone, but money is not an object when WNIR is the #1 radio station in the US, in relation to broadcast range....
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