 2007 The Year in RAIN: Part 3 ·Dec 28, 09:20 AM The final installment of our RAIN Year in Review wraps up the news and events that rounded out 2007. Click here for Part 1 of our feature. Click here for Part 2. Listeners are programmers on Net-centric public b’cast venture “Chicago Public Radio has gone online with a new image and a new name… “The new image is a Web site, Vocalo.org, that provides content for WBEW-FM 89.5, a Chicago Public Radio-owned station in Chesterton, Ind…” SoundExchange says it’s settled with some small webcasters [Follow-up 1] [Follow-up 2] “SoundExchange has signed settlement offers with an undisclosed number of small webcasters, according to statements made today by Executive Director John Simson at the Future of Music Policy Summit in Washington D.C. “Simson also said that the organization will formally announce the development later this week…” WiMax, new auto tech reflect growing options for broadcasters “For all the hard questions facing the radio industry, a number of of experts and analysts speaking at last week’s NAB Radio Show suggested that many of the answers for broadcasters are online. “While webcasters and evangelists of radio’s future on the Net have long seen huge potential in the arrival of ubiquitous Internet access, two recent developments mark big steps in making the universal wireless dream a reality.” Major newspaper enters local online radio market “Combining two media distribution methods hampered by decreasing revenues in recent years doesn’t intuitively sound like a recipe for success. “Intuitively, an online radio station might sound like the cure for what ails a terrestrially-focused broadcast group, not a newspaper company. But it’s the San Diego Union-Tribune that is putting up plans for a new initiative that radio industry analyst Mark Ramsey argues could be the ‘Next Big Thing.’” Webcasters use hearing to renew call for royalty parity “Internet radio webcasters are hoping a Senate hearing today will renew legislators’ interest in their negotiations with the recording industry over royalty fees… “Webcasters have been negotiating since July with SoundExchange, the organization that collects royalties on behalf of music copyright owners, over a new fee schedule. Webcasters say they are growing impatient with delays in the discussions…” Seattle Times: Big labels, high royalties “choking the Internet” “From a Seattle Times editorial: The transformative effect of the Internet on the music industry has opened up new avenues for musicians and listeners. Independent musicians and labels can now reach audiences in their own way. Fans can use the Internet to discover new acts not found on corporate radio, and interact with bands as never before. “All this musical freedom has put the entrenched entities of the music industry — conglomerate record labels, corporate radio and network providers — on the offensive. Their fight against the Internet now incorporates a conquest of control.” SoundEx offers cable radio same rates it rejected for webcasters [Follow-up 1] “The SaveNetRadio Campaign today expressed surprise and hope upon learning that SoundExchange has formally proposed that cable radio services pay royalties between 7.25% and 7.5% of their revenue to sound recording copyright owners and recording artists. “This proposed rate, effective from 2008 to 2012, is virtually identical to rates endorsed by more than 140 cosponsors of the Internet Radio Equality Act, but rejected by SoundExchange and the Recording Industry Association of America.” Record highs for terrestrial stations websites in October JP Morgan scorecard “Terrestrial radio operators enjoyed some very encouraging leaps in their online audience numbers, according to the latest JP Morgan radio scorecard report for October 2007. “Clear Channel, which posted a 16% gain over its numbers from the previous month rose to 12.6 million unique visitors. With the jump, Clear Channel’s online audience now accounts for close to 20% of all visitors to Internet radio websites.” CRB sets royalty rate for satellite radio: 6% of revenues now, rising to 8% “The Associated Press reports today that ‘XM Satellite Radio [and Sirius Satellite Radio] will pay a performance license rate of 6 percent of certain revenue this year for sound recordings played over its network, according to a Copyright Royalty Board decision.’ “The decision sets the rates for the next six years (2007-2012). Under the terms of the new deal, the companies will pay a performance license rate of 6% of specific gross revenues that are subject to fees for 2007 and 2008, 6.5% for 2009, 7% for 2010, 7.5% for 2011 and 8% for 2012.” Broadcast performance royalty bill announced “In a pre-Christmas surprise that most broadcasters could do without, identical bills were introduced in Congress on Tuesday proposing to impose a performance royalty on the use of sound recordings by terrestrial radio stations. “Currently, broadcasters pay only for the right to use the composition and do not pay for the use of sound recordings in their over-the-air operations of the actual recording.” share: del.icio.us.  Reddit  Digg  Yahoo  Wink  Windows  Google  Newsvine 
Comment Other stories RAIN 09/05: DiMA's Potter disputes SoundEx's "lack of webcaster monetization" argument RAIN 09/04: "Mission accomplished" for HD Radio Alliance RAIN 09/03: Brian Parsons joins Triton Media RAIN 9/2: Broadcasters should be on "as many wireless devices as possible," says Greater Media VP RAIN 08/29: BBC PLANS MASSIVE MUSIC STREAMING SERVICE RAIN 8/28: RIAA lobbying for radio royalties at political conventions RAIN 8/27: Analyst warns investors away from "long-term loser" music industry RAIN 8/26: In heavyweight online radio battle, CC readies "I Heart Music" to take on CBS RAIN 8/25: Chrysler's in-car Internet launches RAIN 8/22: Pandora's fight is radio's fight, says industry research expert |
