Conyers Stirs The Royalty Pot With A New Web Bill…

Wednesday, May, 13, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich), already a target of scorn among terrestrial radio station owners for endorsing the Performance Rights Act, has done it again.  Conyers has introduced the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2009, which would provide commercial webcasters with an additional opportunity to obtain financial relief from the Copyright Royalty Board’s 2007 Internet radio royalty decision.  This bill would give webcasters the right to implement royalty rates for Internet music broadcasting that are similar to the rates set for cable and satellite radio broadcasters.  Holy Marconi!  Wait till terrestrial radio finds out about this.  The cost for being a plain, ole terrestrial radio station just got costlier…

“We are hopeful that the House Judiciary Committee will address this important parity issue when it considers the Performance Rights Act this week, and that a revised standard will in the future be the basis of more reasonable CRB royalty decisions so that future Webcaster Settlement Acts will not be necessary” says a smiling Jonathan Potter, executive director of the Digital Media Association (DiMA) which represents large webcasters like Pandora, AOL and Yahoo.  Today is the day that the House Judiciary Committee considers the Performance Rights Act, the bill that would compel terrestrial radio stations to pay performers on songs royalties in the same way that songwriters are currently compensated for airplay, except of course for Internet stations, Webcasters, cable and satellite radio.  Terrestrial radio will not be pleased…

The lawmaker count of those opposed to a performance royalty has now reached 192 and with strong opposition coming from minority ownership and community leadership, the issue has taken on racial overtones.  A rally to “Save Black Radio” is scheduled today in front of Conyers office in Detroit.  The black community is incensed that the only hearing on the bill did not have any black ownership representation, something flatly refused by Conyers… 

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1607] That’s settled: The English colony at Jamestown (VA) is settled. It will be founded the following day…
2. 1846] There goes the Cinco de Mayo celebration: The U.S. declares that a state of war exists against Mexico…
3. 1929] It’s a numbers game: When the Indians beat the Yankees 4-3 in Cleveland, it marks the first game to feature numbers on the backs of the players…
4. 1940] Churchillian: Winston Churchill tells the British House of Commons: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” in his first speech as prime minister. So how come the group wasn’t called ‘Blood, Toil, Tears & Sweat’??? Just asking…
5. 1976] The Doctor makes a house call: Led by Dr. J, the New York Nets win their second ABA title with a thrilling come-from-behind (they trailed by 22 with 17 minutes left) victory over Denver at the Nassau Coliseum in the last ABA game. After this game the ABA becomes part of the NBA…
6. 1981] The Pope takes a bullet: Pope John II is shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter’s Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca…
7. 1985] Wedding Bells: Bruce Springsteen and Julianne Phillips rock down the aisle. They will separate in 1989 and then divorce…
8. 1993] Elite company: One day before his 40th birthday, George Brett becomes only the 6th player with 300 (or more) home runs and 3,000 hits. The historic ball is picked up by a fan on a veteran’s hospital outing. The fan is blind. True!!!
9. 2000] Rickey released: The Mets release Rickey Henderson after he fails to hustle and turns a double into a single. He was also hitting .219 with no home runs at the time…
10. 2006] ‘Happy Trails’: Heatwave founder and lead singer Johnnie Wilder Jr. dies in his sleep at 56. Johnnie was paralyzed below the neck in a 1979 car crash. His spirit remained high even after he was paralyzed all those years…2007] Bill Todd aka Johnny Williams, former WRKO disc jockey passes away from Lou Gehrig’s disease…

Music Memories:

• 1966] Recorded on this date: “Sunny Afternoon” - Kinks…1970] Badfinger begins recording “No Matter What“…
• 1977] Debuted on this date: Dolly Parton makes her New York City debut at the Bottom Line…
• 1977] Mira que Linda: Linda Ronstadt denies reports that she was offered a cool million to pose in the nude for a Hustler centerfold…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”: Darius Rucker aka Hootie ((43), Stephen Colbert (45), Sean McDonough (47), Dennis Rodman (48), Bobby Valentine (59), Stevie Wonder (59) and Harvey Keitel (70)…

Timeline Countdown: 12 days until Memorial Day, 39 days until Father’s Day, 39 days until summer begins and 52 days until July 4th…

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