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Authors, sign in!I believe performers, like all workers, should be paid for their work. While it may appear many artists are rich, most struggle to pay their bills. When “Soul Man” plays on the radio Sam Moore gets nothing. When hip hop by American artists play on European radio, our artists get nothing. (we lose much needed tax revenues too). We give away our music for free to other countries and refuse royalties.
When we listen to jazz, blues, rock, pop, or rap recordings on the radio – it would be good to know these performers are being compensated. I want corporate radio to do well but so should the workers who help them succeed.
Some who oppose the Performance Rights Act - believe that artists have never been paid for airplay and should never be paid for airplay. Is that fair?
Some argue giving some compensation to artists would murder small radio stations. Thanks to Rep. Conyers and Sheila Jackson Lee small stations have protection. Stations with less than $1.25 million a year in revenue – 75% of radio stations in the US – will pay as little as $500 a year to clear the rights for all the music they use.
Stations with less than $5 million a year in revenue – 90 percent of all radio stations in the U.S. will not have to pay anything for three years
While we can all debate the legislation and what the final compromise should be - I think we all agree paying artists nothing, while millions are made off their work, is unfair.
"Broadcasters have earned billions playing the Four Tops and other Artists. All we ask is fair compensation for performance: Fair pay for airplay" -- Duke Fakir, The Four Tops
This issue is about fairness. Passing the Performance Rights Act will close a legal loophole that has unfairly penalized those who create the music we love.
Learn about the issue here:
Published June 5, 2009 by Isaac Robinson |
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Business
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John Conyers
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