eric rochow : social media handyman

This is what Web 2.0 luminary said to me last week.

I listen to internet radio. I love it. I can’t stand terrestial radio, way too much hype, bad advertising, and really bad playlists. In the car, we listen to podcasts or songs we’ve bought on iTunes.

I received a letter recently from Tim Westegren, founder of Pandora, about the recent Copyright Royalty Board decision to raise internet radio fees:

The survival of Pandora and all of Internet radio is in jeopardy because of a recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, DC to almost triple the licensing fees for Internet radio sites like Pandora. The new royalty rates are irrationally high, more than four times what satellite radio pays, and broadcast radio doesn’t pay these at all. Left unchanged, these new royalties will kill every Internet radio site, including Pandora.

Coming from the perspective of an internet radio listener, raising these fees doesn’t make sense. Its because of internet radio that I buy more music. Whether its listening to Pandora or iTunes, if I hear song I like and want to buy it, its name and artist are listed right there, and on Pandora, i can click on a link to buy that song on iTunes or Amazon. On iTunes radio shows, its easy enough to search for songs as well right in the iTunes player.

With Pandora, just click and you can buy the songs being played

So I ask the RIAA and the Copyright Royalty Board, why do something that quashes competition and leaves us having to listen to really bad song rotations on terrestial stations?

You can learn more about the SaveNetRadio Coalition and sign a petition here.