In this letter to the editor, the author responds to the story “Local Radio Freedom Act Is Reintroduced in Senate.” Radio World welcomes letters to the editor on this or any story. Email [email protected].
Elle, hello. I’m a long-time responder to articles to this fine publication, I would like to express my own opinion of the newest “artist payment for play” legislation asking for more money.
I do not agree to the adding of additional charges on radio stations. Maybe there needs to be a restructuring of ASCAP and BMI [regarding] their payouts to the licensees.
But more so, how much are the streaming services, and the non-radio services, paying? Granted, many of those [services] are given easier and greater access to possible listeners of the new and upcomers. But do the operating radio stations have to pay another cost just to play and promote songs that may or may not be popular or a fan favorites? Even though, in a different market, [those songs] “may” score better than another at a time?
ASCAP and BMI have done regular surveys of the playlists of whichever radio station that I’ve worked for. I have done both on-air and engineering at several formats — golden oldies, weather radio, children’s programming and more.
This new government action to place additional costs on to operating on-air, free to listen to radio stations is, in this economy, almost a death nell for those independents that are just trying to survive.
Although I don’t like the big companies that basically “own” a radio market, they will get hit big time. Already there have been some bankruptcy filings, restructurings and “tightening of the belts” for the major players.
About the “artists that are losing money”? Have they copyrighted their music? Do they have an agreement with any of the big boys that are supposed to pay for the usage of their music? So artists like the Rolling Stones get a great amount of cash money on their royalties, but others such as Ray Covington get nothing? He’s regional and working and to get exposure, but I believe that he falls between the cracks, along with the thousands of other singers and groups.
I honestly don’t think that I have vented enough about this, but it helps, even as a former on-air persona and broadcast engineer, to get my feelings out about this (money sucking) unfortunate proposition to the radio business.
— Archie Stulc, former broadcast radio engineer
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