RAIN: Radio And Internet Newsletter: RAIN 7/24: Webcasters' voices needed for Tuesday Senate hearing

RAIN 7/24: Webcasters' voices needed for Tuesday Senate hearing
·Jul 24, 11:58 AM
Posted by: Paul Maloney

SAVE NET RADIO NEEDS WEBCASTER STATEMENTS FOR TUES SENATE HEARING: Save Net Radio is collecting statements from bona fide webcasters for a Senate hearing on the Performance Rights Act (S. 2500), scheduled for Tuesday (July 29, 2008). The Performance Rights Act is the Senate version of legislation that would require terrestrial broadcasters to pay royalties to sound recording copyright owners. The House of Representatives version of the bill passed through a House subcommittee last month (RAIN coverage here). Statements should be sent in by the end of tomorrow (Friday, July 25). If you’re a webcaster and would like to participate, please contact Vijay Raghavan at Save Net Radio here.

XM-SIRIUS MERGER APPROVAL ALL BUT OFFICIAL: The conclusion of over 500 days of negotiations may be at hand, as The Wall Street Journal reports (here) that FCC Commissioners have struck a “tentative deal” to approve the merger between satellite radio broadcasters XM and Sirius. The decision on the merger, previously split 2-2, lies with Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate who is expected to vote in favor of the merger in exchange for a nearly $20 million fine for tower location and power limits violations (XM paying $17.5 million and Sirius $2 million). Other previous agreements include a three-year price freeze and setting aside 8% of the satellite spectrum for educational and minority broadcasters. As expected, the NAB is less than pleased. NAB executive VP Dennis Wharton released a statement yesterday, calling the deal a “sweetheart deal for Wall Street speculators…premised on a promise that a monopoly will provide consumers with lower prices, better service and more programming formats.” Going on to label the merger as “wrongheaded,” Wharton implies the NAB is not finished fighting the merger. For more, read R&R’s coverage here.

WILL SAT-CASTER MERGER MATTER WITH NET RADIO COMPETITION?: While the NAB argues that the merger between XM and Sirius would create a harmful monopoly, Kevin Maney at Portfolio.com’s Tech Observer blog points out that a combined satellite radio provider would still face plenty of competition from Internet radio, not to mention terrestrial and HD radio. Owners of the iPhone and other streaming-ready cell phones now can access Internet radio on-the-go (and that includes in-car). “That’s a pretty compelling alternative to satellite radio,” Maney states. With the coming of WiMax and in-car Wi-Fi (such as Chrysler’s coming feature, RAIN coverage here), satellite radio will have more than enough competition from the plethora of webcasts. “For cryin’ out loud,” Maney writes, “Let XM and Sirius merge. They’re going to have enough trouble competing as a combined company.” Read his full article here.

YAHOO MUSIC STORE CLOSES UP SHOP: The Yahoo Music Store has stated that it will shut down on September 30. In an email to users, Yahoo warns that DRM tracks will not be able to be relicensed after the online music store closes, and recommends backing such music to a CD. Yahoo also points users to Rhapsody’s music store, which recently partnered with Yahoo Music. Yahoo’s Internet radio service will still operate. For more, read MacDailyNews’ coverage here.