From big bombs to little grenades, the ammo continues to fly between broadcasters and music labels and artists over a possible performance royalty.
The musicFirst coalition, the group of record labels and artists supporting a fee for music airplay on terrestrial radio, has released what it calls a handbook filled with “lies and mistruths” used by radio to distort the issue.
The primer is called “The Radio Distortion Handbook.” It quotes statements by Cathy Hughes, Bayard Walters, Dennis Wharton, Brett Denafo and others.
The group says the Performance Rights Act would bring fairness to artists and to Internet and satellite radio. Opponents, most prominently NAB, say that if passed, such fees would force many stations, struggling in this economy, to go out of business.
