RIAA Seeks Royalties From Radio

SierraPete writes "First it was Napster; then it was Internet radio; then it was little girls, grandmothers, and dead people. But now our friends at the RIAA are going decidedly low-tech. The LA Times reports that the RIAA wants royalties from radio stations. 70 years ago Congress exempted radio stations from paying royalties to performers and labels because radio helps sell music. But since the labels that make up the RIAA are not getting the cash they desire through sales of CDs, and since Internet and satellite broadcasters are forced to cough up cash to their racket, now the RIAA wants terrestrial radio to pay up as well."

Congress

[rlp]

It all depends on how corrupt Congress is ... we're in deep trouble!

Re:Paul Harvey all day

[Schlemphfer]

Relax, man, there's always Dr. Laura.

Re:From the article...

[weorthe]

Remember kids, listening to the radio is STEALING!!!

Re:I always find it unnerving...

[Bogtha]

Sometimes it's just downright hilarious.

The Onion, February 2004 [theonion.com]:

Stop. I just had a stroke of genius. Are you ready? Open your mouth, baby birds, cause Mama's about to drop you one sweet, fat nightcrawler. Here she comes: Put another aloe strip on that fucker, too. That's right. Five blades, two strips, and make the second one lather. You heard me--the second strip lathers. It's a whole new way to think about shaving. Don't question it. Don't say a word. Just key the music, and call the chorus girls, because we're on the edge--the razor's edge--and I feel like dancing.

CNN, September 2005 [cnn.com]:

Gillette has escalated the razor wars yet again, unveiling a new line of razors on Wednesday with five blades and a lubricating strip on both the front and back.

Re:From the article...

[The Ultimate Fartkno]

If the radio stations are making money by playing the Supremes' music, I can see why she might say that.

Re:Give them what they want!

[toleraen]

If I may quote Lewis Black...

MTV is to music as KFC is to chicken.

Terrestrial radio?

[joeyblades]

I'm confused... Do they still broadcast using radio waves?

Re:Give them what they want!

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

A delicious mix of herbs and spices that makes music better?

I don't get it.

Re:Pipe Dream

[drsquare]

Well we've always had this here in Britain, and it seems to work.

The same British radio that plays the same half dozen songs over and over again?

Top Ten "What's next"...

[The_REAL_DZA]

From the riaa (they don't deserve capitals) home office deep in side the Twilight Zone, the top ten upcoming attempted revenue sources/potential targets for their harassment:

• 10. Marching bands
• 9. Wedding singers
• 8. Kindergarten classes (they see a veritable MINT in The Hokey Pokey alone!)
• 7. "Hold-Music"
• 6. "Elevator-Music"
• 5. Doorbells (esp. the kind like at the Clampett mansion on The Beverly Hillbillies)
• 4. Ambulance sirens (their lawyers are nostalgic about chasing them anyway...)
• 3. Organ grinders
• 2. Merry-go-rounds

And the #1 next target for their evil attentions:

• 1. Jingles you get stuck in your head on the way to work and hum the same three bars of all day long (not that that ever happens to me, but a pox on The Astelins on that stupid antihistimine commercial!!!)

Re:From the article...

[negated]

Mary Wilson, who with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard formed the original Supremes, said the exemption was unfair and forced older musicians to continue touring to pay their bills.

In defense of Diana Ross, she definitely needs all the money she can get to pay for her liquor [thesmokinggun.com]. Plus she wants everyone's handicap spaces too. I just hope someone else is driving if she is forced to go on tour!

Re:Give them what they want!

[jae471]

MTV is to music as KFC is to chicken.

True. Both make me vomit.

Re:New Rules Charge Free Music Too!

[networkBoy]

or the shooting range...

Re:is this about money?

[freeweed]

I ran into a former owner of a CD store in a college town a few years ago, and she said that she had to close down because CDs were not selling, so she sold the business, and started another one. She said explicitly that downloads hurt her bottom line

Was she selling Christian music CDs, by chance?

*ducks*

Re:Give them what they want!

[Mr2cents]

Are you talking about weed?

Re:Give them what they want!

[utopianfiat]

hah! Ben Folds? TALENT?

In other news, this article gave me the feeling of the fresh sound of .45 being cocked and pointed at a certain music industry organization's foot.

Re:From the article...

[teh_chrizzle]

Those millions she already made were not nearly enough compensation for those few hours of music she put on records.

what the hell is wrong with you? do you think that cars, mansions, designer clothes, and heroin pays for itself? what about rehab? what about agent fees? what about lawyers and accountants? these are all very expensive things that help starts live their expensive lives. who's going to pay for all of that stuff?

you think that because you go to work every day that everyone has to work every day as well and simply pay their own way. well, i'm here to tell you that simply isn't true. just like the french aristocracy, some people have to pay for others to enjoy the good life. stars need more money than regular people and so regular people need to share the wealth. regular people have jobs and families... they can clearly afford to pay celebrities so that they can maintain their celebrity lifestyles.

Re:From the article...

[barefoothannibal]

I'm merely a slashdot reader, can someone PLEASE put this into a car analogy so I can understand!?!?

Re:Awww, diddums

[Goldarn]

So you have to keep working to get money? What a novel concept. No-one else in the population has to work until retirement age, do they?

What makes you think you get to stop working when you hit retirement age, slacker? Lazy people like you are the reason we can't privatize social security!

Re:Give them what they want!

[AnalogDiehard]

A delicious mix of herbs and spices that makes music better?

I don't get it.

Think Spice Girls.

Re:Give them what they want!

[illeism]

They sent NPR to war [medialoper.com].