Oct 17 - 46/45 - McCain +01
Chandra's 2 cents
The Chief Source staff is encouraging readers to submit a post on any topic they choose between May 1st and Independence Day, at which point a winner will be crowned based on staff vote and your comments. The following is submission #6 from Chandra:
"I am extremely concerned about recent changes proposed which would affect various forms of communication. I am not concerned so much because I am a regular listener to internet radio or because I am a regular subscriber to independent publications, rather my concern is simply that our options for receiving information are being limited, thereby limiting the diversity of ideas available to the American public.
First, new Internet radio royalty fees:
The Copyright Royalty Board has decided to increase the royalty fees for Internet radio providers from a percentage of earnings to a flat fee each time a user listens to a song. Not surprising, SoundExchange, a company established by the Recording Industry of America supports the bill. Large online stations such as AOL, Microsoft and ClearChannel will clearly have no trouble paying their bills whereas college radio stations, National Public Radio and Pandora Internet Radio, and other smaller stations will effectively be put out of business. Please tell me when the last time was that you heard an independent artist on a ClearChannel station.
I am, in some respects, surprised that the recording industry wants sites like Pandora to be silenced because such sites allow a listener to discover new music which they may decide that they would like to purchase, aka free promotion. These sites generally do not allow you to download the music that you hear, they simply give you the opportunity to listen to music that you might not be able to hear on your local radio stations.
On the print media side we face the loss of independent magazines such as Ms., Mother Jones, The Nation, ad infinitum. Postage rate hikes due to go into effect in July would effectively cripple the dissemination of independent magazines.
Initially the USPS proposed to raise postage rates 12% across the board. Shockingly however, the Postal Regulatory Commission rejected that plan and instead adopted one proposed by Time Warner (publisher of mega-magazines Time, People, Sports Illustrated, etc.). The Time Warner plan would raise postage from at least 20% to at least 30% for thousands of small to medium sized periodicals, while magazines with the largest circulations would see a less than 12% increase. This is essential a regressive tax in which the poor pay a higher rate than the rich.
The public interest of a free press, and by extension, free radio, television, Internet, etc., is at the very foundation of our country. Thomas Paine's "Common Sense", "The Federalist Papers", and other such pamphlets urged colonists to declare independence and establish a new nation. Imagine how much slower these things would have come about if these modern day restrictions had been in place. Benjamin Franklin, the first postmaster of the United States, sought low and equal fees for sending newspapers through the mail and as such the USPS established special low rates for magazines over 200 years ago in order to allow the dissemination of diverse points of view, a necessity for a fully functional democracy..."
"I am extremely concerned about recent changes proposed which would affect various forms of communication. I am not concerned so much because I am a regular listener to internet radio or because I am a regular subscriber to independent publications, rather my concern is simply that our options for receiving information are being limited, thereby limiting the diversity of ideas available to the American public.
First, new Internet radio royalty fees:The Copyright Royalty Board has decided to increase the royalty fees for Internet radio providers from a percentage of earnings to a flat fee each time a user listens to a song. Not surprising, SoundExchange, a company established by the Recording Industry of America supports the bill. Large online stations such as AOL, Microsoft and ClearChannel will clearly have no trouble paying their bills whereas college radio stations, National Public Radio and Pandora Internet Radio, and other smaller stations will effectively be put out of business. Please tell me when the last time was that you heard an independent artist on a ClearChannel station.
I am, in some respects, surprised that the recording industry wants sites like Pandora to be silenced because such sites allow a listener to discover new music which they may decide that they would like to purchase, aka free promotion. These sites generally do not allow you to download the music that you hear, they simply give you the opportunity to listen to music that you might not be able to hear on your local radio stations.
On the print media side we face the loss of independent magazines such as Ms., Mother Jones, The Nation, ad infinitum. Postage rate hikes due to go into effect in July would effectively cripple the dissemination of independent magazines.
Initially the USPS proposed to raise postage rates 12% across the board. Shockingly however, the Postal Regulatory Commission rejected that plan and instead adopted one proposed by Time Warner (publisher of mega-magazines Time, People, Sports Illustrated, etc.). The Time Warner plan would raise postage from at least 20% to at least 30% for thousands of small to medium sized periodicals, while magazines with the largest circulations would see a less than 12% increase. This is essential a regressive tax in which the poor pay a higher rate than the rich.
The public interest of a free press, and by extension, free radio, television, Internet, etc., is at the very foundation of our country. Thomas Paine's "Common Sense", "The Federalist Papers", and other such pamphlets urged colonists to declare independence and establish a new nation. Imagine how much slower these things would have come about if these modern day restrictions had been in place. Benjamin Franklin, the first postmaster of the United States, sought low and equal fees for sending newspapers through the mail and as such the USPS established special low rates for magazines over 200 years ago in order to allow the dissemination of diverse points of view, a necessity for a fully functional democracy..."
CONTINUED IN COMMENTS
By Robert - 5/24/2007
12 Comments:
CHANDRA'S POST CONTINUED:
"...We must not forget that the public owns the airwaves and that the FCC, USPS, Copyright Royalty Board, etc. work for us. If we do not step up and demand accountability we will continue to be stepped on.
It is the purpose of the First Amendment to preserve an uninhibited marketplace of ideas in which truth will ultimately prevail, rather than to countenance monopolization of that market, whether it be by the Government itself or a private licensee. It is the right of the public to receive suitable access to social, political, esthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences which is crucial here. That right may not constitutionally be abridged either by Congress or by the FCC."
--U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark 1969 case of Red Lion v. FCC
The media consolidation effort that began in 2003 has taken on a new disguise. I have this semi-apocalyptic vision of a Stepford Life in which all forms of media are the same with Big Brother at the helm. I fear that my vision may not be too far away.
Remember, the revolution will not be televised. Especially if Time Warner and Clear Channel have anything to say about it."
phenomenal post-well done
Chandra,
Excellent. It's scary when corporations are writing legislation and policy.
What do you think about the proposed Sirius/XM satelite radio merger? While I'm against limiting consumers' choices by consolidation, it seems silly to have to buy 2 types of satelite radios for sports coverage and programming. The "free radio" industry is staunchly against it. Congress has held 3 hearings on the issue, since they don't have anything better to do.
Informative post.
I fully enjoyed it.
The question is: How do we go about fighting this?
Are there any links I can follow?
I listen to alot of out of market talk radio. I have heard about this and it is troubling.
GEEZUZZZZZZ, Robert, the saucy graphic gives me Eyeball spasms and sends me right back to the 60's
Going for a Sam Adams now
The Nation deserves to lose readership. I received a total of 4 editions with my last subscription. What the hell happened to the rest is anybody's quess( I am sure my neighbors are not stealing them). They have no customer service number(that I found) to call. So I said the hell with it and now hate all liberals for ripping me off.
very interesting stuff. an example of an important issue that does not get enough attention
Chandra,
Thanks for the post. This is one of those issues that tends to get eclipsed by the ongoing war, but really is essential to preventing similar future misadventures.
I couldn't find much for the postal issue but I did find the following:
Postal Regulatory Commission
Regarding Order No. 8, Docket No. R2006-1
901 New York Ave. NW
Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20268-0001
You may also fax your letters to: (202) 789-6886 or e-mail using the web-based e-mail option on the PRC Web site at prc.gov/contact.asp
The internet radio issue has much more publicity and, the good news is that the Internet Radio Equality Act gained its 100th House of Reps supporter on Friday. This Act would reverse the CRB's decision.
www.savenetradio.org seems to be the rallying point so I would head there for more information before the July 15th deadline.
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