>
The U.S. Senate (not the House of Representatives) Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow on the Performance Rights Act, which would impose performance royalties on broadcast radio, with NAB Joint Board Chair and Commonwealth Broadcasting President/CEO Steve Newberry scheduled to testify. Also on the witness list are recording artist Sheila E, speaking on behalf of pro-royalties lobbying group the MusicFirst Coalition; NABOB Exec. Director Jim Winston; Rounder Records owner Marian Leighton-Levy; RealNetworks EVP Bob Kimball; and Ralph Oman, an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School.
Senate Judiciary Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), like House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), are strong proponents of performance royalties.
So now it looks like radio will have to target their campaign against a Performance Royalty Tax towards United States Senators. Still don’t know why this seems to be an issue for Black Radio… because if it passes it will effect all radio stations.