RAIN: Radio And Internet Newsletter: RAIN 2/24: CRB sets negotiating period for 2011-2015 royalties

RAIN 2/24: CRB sets negotiating period for 2011-2015 royalties
·Feb 24, 12:53 PM
Posted by: Paul Maloney

CRB ACCEPTS PETITIONS TO PARTICIPATE, VOLUNTARY SETTLEMENT PERIOD TO BEGIN

Though webcasters and SoundExchange have a pretty thin history of coming to terms when left to negotiate, hope springs eternal (as we’re fond of saying in Chicago about this time of year).

The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board judges have issued an order establishing the dates of the voluntary negotiation period for webcast royalties for the 2011-2015 term.

As per the order, webcasters, broadcasters, and software and services companies whose “petitions to participate” have been accepted by the CRB (see RAIN here, second story) are “permitted and encouraged to participate in negotiations” from March 2 through May 29, 2009, “in an effort to produce settled rates and terms for the Judges to consider.” By law, should negotiators fail to reach a “marketplace” settlement (as has been the norm for the industry), the CRB would begin the arbitration process (which in 2007 famously determined the royalty rates for the current term).

The CRB order also mentions that the petitions from seven applicants have not yet been accepted “as it is unclear as to whether they were signed by an attorney” (regulations require all participants who aren’t individuals representing themselves be represented by an attorney). Those applicants (including, surprisingly, Live365, DiMA, and Slacker) have been given until March 2 to show cause as to why their petitions should be accepted.

HANSON TO DISCUSS “FUTURE OF INTERNET RADIO” AT DIGITAL MUSIC FORUM: EAST CONF. TOMORROW

RAIN publisher and AccuRadio founder Kurt Hanson is scheduled to participate in the “Future of Internet Radio” panel tomorrow at Digital Music Forum: East conference in New York. Also slated to take part in the discussion, moderated by industry attorney (and “RAIN contributor) David Oxenford, is CBS Radio President/Digital Media & Integrated Marketing David Goodman, Live365.com Chairman & CEO Mark Lam, and Citadel Broadcasting Senior VP/Digital Media John Rosso. Conference info, agenda, and registration are here.

CHUMBY PLATFORM COMING TO TVS, SET-TOP BOXES

Semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom will reportedly produce chips

to incorporate the Chumby widget platform (which includes a wide array of Net radio options) in TVs, set-top boxes, and Blu-Ray DVD players. Chumby is the beanbag-encased, touchscreen, Net device which displays “widget” mini-applications, like social networks, news, weather, and Net radio. For more, read Electronista’s coverage here.

STUDY CONNECTS RADIO, INTERNET USAGE

Canadian Radio marketers are touting the findings of the 2009 Foundation Research study on media usage patterns as indicative of the media’s branding and advertising power. Among the findings, according to an article in Mediacaster Magazine: While 36% of adults surveyed reported listening to radio while using the Internet, that rate increases for adults 18-34 (39%), working adults (39%), women with children (43%), working women (44%) and business executives (41%). Usage patterns for the two media throughout the day tend to match as well: 31% of adults say they’re online between 6-10AM, 43% between 10AM and 3PM, and 39% from 3-7PM; compared to 56% 6-10AM, 43% 10AM-3PM and 39% 3-7PM for radio. 45% of those surveyed say a radio ad prompted them to search online; 62% of those visited an advertiser’s website in the past 6 months to learn more. Read the Mediacaster article here.

VERIZON HUB DEVICE ACCESSES CLEAR CHANNEL NET RADIO

The Hub is “cordless-phone-plus-widget-station” explains tech blog ZatzNotFunny. You can get news, weather info,

traffic reports, view pictures, and now, listen to several Clear Channel major-market stations and webcasts. According to a press release, the Hub streams CC outlets like WHTZ-FM/New York, KFI-AM/Los Angeles, WWDC-FM/Washington, D.C., and WGCI-FM/Chicago; as well as American Top 40, Fox Sports Radio, and online-only Smooth Jazz and the exclusive Verizon New Music Channel. Read the press release here. ZatzNotFunny has photos here.

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