Take Action Against the Performance Fee
The record labels are asking Congress to impose a performance fee on ALL free and local radio stations – including non-commercial, college and other niche stations – and we need your help to prevent it.
For several decades, free and local radio has helped the music of unknown artists reach our ears, launching the careers of performers from Elvis to U2 to Madonna. More importantly, radio warns us in times of danger and disaster, informs us about what’s going on in our neighborhood, supports the local charities and nonprofit organizations that help our neighbors in times of need and provides jobs for our community. But the big, foreign-owned record labels want that all to change — and they want our communities to foot the bill.
Even though local radio stations already pay songwriters for the use of music, and provide — for free — airtime that helps to generate up to $2.4 billion in music sales annually, the labels want more. They are now lobbying Congress to assess another fee, largely in part to pay for their inability to adapt their business model to the digital age.
While the foreign-owned record labels are looking for a bailout from local radio, stations both big and small are already struggling to stay afloat in this current economic climate. Local radio stations across the country provide over 100,000 people with jobs and generate more than $6 billion for communities though free airtime for public service, charitable contributions and disaster relief efforts. If the record labels get their way, stations will suffer, people will lose their jobs and nonprofits will struggle to make ends meet.