The White House has endorsed a performance royalty for terrestrial radio, again.
The endorsement was within a white paper (PDF) from the U.S. intellectual property enforcement coordinator at the White House, who issued administration recommendations for legislative changes designed to increase enforcement of U.S. intellectual property in order to create jobs and grow the U.S. economy.
Included in the paper was the recommendation “that Congress create a right of public performance for sound recordings transmitted by over-the-air broadcast stations.”
MusicFIRST Coalition spokesman Tom Matzzie pointed out the recommendation to reporters and stated, “The administration support underscores how important a performance right is to U.S. jobs and economic growth.” The coalition represents artists, managers, labels and other performance rights allies.
NAB replied that the administration’s position is not new. It says the legislation would hurt stations so much financially it would actually kill jobs, not create new ones.
“NAB offered a legislative package to resolve this issue last year, which was summarily rejected by the musicFirst Coalition. Our offer still stands,” stated NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton.
No new legislation to create a performance right for terrestrial radio has been introduced in the new session of Congress. We recently reported the non-binding resolution opposing PRA was recently re-introduced in the House.
