Bill Countering Performance Rights Act Gains Support in House

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 5, 2009 - 8:52am.

Washington - A bill that would counter the Performance Rights Act, which aims to establish payments for record labels and musicians for radio airplay in the U.S., "now has the backing of 220 members of the House, giving the anti-performance-royalties resolution majority support," Radio Ink Magazine reports.

The Local Radio Freedom Act is a non-binding resolution that would not prevent the Performance Righs Act from being brought to a vote, but "support for the LRFA may very well discourage royalties supporters from scheduling the PRA for a vote in the full House at this time," according to Radio Ink.

Radio broadcasters in the U.S. have always paid songwriters and music publishers when their songs are played on the radio, through performing rights organizations like ASCAP and BMI.

Broadcasters outside the U.S., as well as satellite and Internet music broadcasters, also pay royalties to record labels and musicians.

The Performance Rights Act, backed by record labels and opposed by broadcasters, would establish new royalty payments from radio broadcasters to labels and artists.

http://snipurl.com/jiqr7 (DMW previous coverage)