Re: Bring on the news and talk stations!

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: You give us 22 minutes, we'll give you the world. : : Rep. John Conyers' subcommittee has passed the Performance Rights Act, which would make radio stations pay royalties to artists, not just songwriters and publishers. : : Let the screaming begin! This may have a chance at passing for several reasons: : : 1) The NAB under David Rehr and Dennis Wharton came off as mean-spirited and petty lobbying against the bill : : 2) Radio is taking a bad rap these days, as we all know, for being a greedy money-sucking industry with little regard to localism. : : And there are many more reasons. : : I'm torn. Honestly torn. I still work in radio, and part of me wouldn't mind seeing the suits who oppose regulation and LOCAL content in favor of voicetracking and syndication take in right in the shorts with a bill like this. But I know what would happen -- the suits would eliminate more JOBS in radio in a knee-jerk reaction. : : Kinda like saying "my car keeps stalling on the Edens. I'll change the tires again." : : (Which is exactly what the mega-financing firms and the FaGreed Suleimans and John Slogan Hogans of the world have been doing.) : : There has been an argument -- maybe even a belief -- that the Performance Rights Act would send a lot of radio stations scurrying to talk. In many instances, talk HAS to be more of a local product than .. music. Syndicate all you want, but there is less of a reason to listen to talk stations if they don't have local product. : : Maybe it's time radio "bellied up" and paid its fair share -- or found something PROFITABLE and LOCAL to do. : : And those two words are not mutually exclusive.

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