Washington - Top executives at large webcasters Yahoo, RealNetworks, Live365 and Pandora on Thursday sent a letter to Congress, asking for additional focus on the results of a Copyright Royalty Board decision that raised rates webcasters must pay to stream music online.

Signed by Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, RealNetworks chairman and CEO Rob Glaser, Live365 chairman and CEO Mark Lam, and Pandora president and CEO Joe Kennedy, the letters states that the new rates represent effectively 300% of the pre-existing rate, and derides the new $500 per channel minimum fee.

The executives also pleaded with Congress -- from which a bipartisan Internet Radio Equality Act has already emerged -- to give more credence to the impending closures of online radio stations than to the process the CRB took to arrive at the new rate structure.

"While process is important, we submit that the end result, which threatens the viability of the smallest, most innovative, most artist- and consumer-friendly promotional radio industry, is most significant," the letter states.

"We ask you for your help to restore balance and fairness so that this new industry can survive and continue to pay artists reasonable royalties."

The CRB's new royalty rates are set to take effect on July 15.

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