Internet Radio Fights to Remain on the Air

As a 'Leading Edge Talk' station - Lisa.fm doesn't play music - but, we are supporting our colleagues who play music on their Internet radio stations.

Many webcasters will be heading to Capitol Hill this week (April 30-May 1) to urge their lawmakers to support HR 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act. If passed into law this would overturn a recent ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which imposes a staggering increase in the royalty fees Internet broadcasters must pay in order to play copyrighted music.

These new fees being imposed by the CRB are 300-1,200 percent higher than the current royalty rates, and are are far greater than what AM/FM broadcasters are paying. Internet radio stations are now being asked to pay fees for each song listened to by each listener. This will result in payments far in excess of their minimal revenues. Even worse, stations are being asked to pay a $500 per-channel-fee, and the increased fees would be owed retroactively - going back 14 months!

Many Internet radio stations are barely making money (if any) as it is - often, these webcasters are in business because they are passionate about the music they play. This decision by the CRB must be overturned, if Internet radio is going to continue to be able to grow into a viable business. Internet broadcasters are only asking to pay royalty rates similar to what satellite & cable radio stations pay, or a percentage of their revenues.

There is a lot of music being played on the Internet. Live365, "the world's largest Internet radio network," streamed more than 25 million hours of music last month alone, by over 100,000 musical acts - many of these artists rely on Internet radio to play their music. Live365 and other webcasters have formed the SaveNetRadio coalition. They are asking you to call your congressman/woman to urge them to co-sponsor HR 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act. Click here to get in touch with your Congressperson.

The steps taken between today and May 15th will determine whether or not music will continue to be playe on the Internet. You can make a difference!

Wow - it's LUCKY Friday the 13th!

Are you feeling lucky on this Friday the 13th? Oh, come on - you're not suffering from Paraskevidekatriaphobia (the morbid irrational fear of Friday the 13th), are you? A study published in the British Medical Journal in 1993 actually found that there are people who are reluctant to drive on Friday the 13th and that, in factc, the number of car crashes was higher on Friday the 13th, among the area they sampled.

Not only is 13 believed to be an 'unlucky' number - so much so that buildings taller than 13 stories rarely will include a '13th floor.' But, the number 6 is also unlucky, according to myth. So - FRIDAY, being the SIXTH day of the week - coupled with 13 - has led to the superstition that unfortunate things can happen on Friday the 13th.

Now, given all the talk about The Secret - the DVD/book that talks about the Law of Attraction - basically, what you believe you receive, isn't it time that we start thinking less about any possible bad things happening on a Friday the 13th - and instead focusing our intention on making this a TERRIFICLY LUCKY DAY, regardless of the date?

After all - for talk radio host Don Imus - his unlucky day(s) fell prior to the 13th - he lost his show at MSNBC on Wednesday the 11th (11 is considered a LUCKY number for many) and got fired from his national radio show on Thursday the 12th.


Now - get out and make the most of this very lucky day - Friday the 13th!