The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger!

On April 16, right in the midst of the NAB2007 broadcasters conference,
the Copyright Royalty Board upheld its earlier decision
to impose higher royalty rates on Web radio stations.
The stations will have to cough up these royalty payments
300% to 1,200% higher than the fees they are used to paying retroactively.
Unless Congress gets involved, that will mean the death of many Web radio stations,
whose revenues will fall short of these royalty payments.

But larger companies not currently thought of as broadcasters will suffer as well:
Today, the CRB clarified that its decision applies not only to Web-based radio stations, but also to any company broadcasting music over cellular networks.
That means that its decision can be applied very broadly.
In effect, the CRB has imposed high royalties, payable to a company formed by music labels,
on everyone from Mercora, which allows users to download its radio-playing software onto smartphones for listening to Webcasts via cellular,
to music services powered by wireless carriers themselves.
Until now,these carriers have negotiated for royalty rates with individual content owners directly.
These business arrangements have not been disclosed,but there is a chance that the telcos’ payments will now increase.

Now that the CRB decision affects not just the little guys (Webcasters),but also some of the telecom world’s giants,
that makes me more sure than ever that Congress will have to get involved before the decision goes into effect May 15.
Remember,Congress got involved in figuring out what fair and reasonable rates were the last time the royalty rates were renegotiated.
Now,there are enough small and large Webcasters out there – wireless and Web-based -- to claim legislators' attention. Already, today,
a number of broadcasters kicked off www.SaveNetRadio.org grassroots campaign.
I wouldn’t be surprised if telcos join in this effort.
 So please would you all show your feelings by signing this petition
                    https://www.SaveNetRadio.org

This decision disgusts me. It seems the record labels will stop at nothing to rip everyone off and hurt lesser known artists in the process...
For many people such as myself in the USA, internet radio is one of the only ways to have access to trance!

I used to find out which new music to buy, when I heard it on the radio. Then over the years radio stations started playing only music from tiny lists. My Wife asked me a few years ago why we never hear the music we buy and play at home, on the radio. I shifted to Internet radio because that was the only place I could hear much of the music produced today. Now they want to kill that. I am very puzzled. If I was a musician I would be very angry as now few will hear what I play. This makes no sense to me. Who are they protecting? I won't buy it if I don't know it exists, and killing Internet radio will go a long ways toward keeping most music a secret. Perhaps Global Warming has affected their brains!
I think also that the big labels love themselves too much,they force people to use p2p sharing because of the stupid prices they charge for their cds.And the only way to stop people sharing files,would be to close the internet down.The sooner RIAA and the other music war mongers learn that,then the sooner
People like me will start buying their products again,(Don't hold your breath waiting for that tho).

What a great cause we cannot stand for this to happen to our favorite music and lesser know .