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Grammy Group Compares NAB Resolution to Nat’l Watermelon Day

NAB shrugs off “comical claim”

The folks behind the Grammys weighed in on the “Local Radio Freedom Act.”

Reacting to news that NAB has enough House votes in favor of that resolution, the Recording Academy put out a statement mocking the cocument as akin to “National Watermelon Day” and “Sense of Congress Supporting National Pet Week.”

The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians and songwriters as well as producers, engineers and other recording professionals.

“The NAB has added the ‘Local Radio Freedom Act’ to Congress’ long list of non-binding resolutions,” the organization wrote. “We hope the broadcasters will continue to be distracted by their non-bill, while Congress continues its copyright review leading to the establishment of a radio royalty for artists.”

NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton in turn said, “This resolution sends a clear signal that Congress is not willing to threaten a vibrant radio business just so more money can be funneled into the coffers of record label executives. The Recording Academy, RIAA and other music groups lobbied furiously to keep members of Congress from signing the Local Radio Freedom Act. Now that their efforts have failed, it’s a little late to make the comical claim that LRFA suddenly doesn’t matter.”

NAB said Thursday that it counted 218 co-sponsors in the House, more than half of the chamber, as well as 23 in the Senate for the latest version of this resolution. It subsequently raised the count to 220. Reps. Michael Conaway and Gene Green are the principal House sponsors; Sens. John Barrasso and Heidi Heitkamp are driving it in the Senate.

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