[78-L] This Will Make Radio Even MORE Dead

[David Lewis]

Kristjan wrote:
 
Broadcasters play music to attract audiences. Advertisers like audiences and 
pay the broadcasters for the right to advertise. Therefore broadcasters 
should pay the musicians for the right to use their music.
If this logic is too difficult for US broadcasters I wouldn't lament the end of terrestrial music radio in the US. Let's just hope the endless talk shows will focus on ethical issues now and then - like the eighth commandment, for
instance.
 
>>>
Thank you, Kristjan, for your typically European contempt of us. (; As someone who actively works on programming music fo terrestrial radio in the US, I would lament it. And as there's Rush "Boss" Limbaugh over here, I seriously doubt that the ethical issues that you envision will get much airplay.
The letter from the Grammys is kind of interesting in that it makes specific mention of "closing the loophole;" I wasn't aware that there was a loophole to be closed. There have been significant skirmishes over the years in regard to radio and rights administration, going back at least to when Fred Waring cancelled his lucrative contract with RCA Victor in order to discourage unscrupulous broadcasters from fabricating radio broadcasts out of his commercial recordings. However, since at least the 1950s the record industry, at least, has depended so much on the exposure that radio provided they did not press the rights issue. Now that times are hard, the music industry wants to pass on the pain, and while I'm not surprised that they would want to take this measure, I do believe that most radio concerns just won't want to pony up for it; they haven't had to in more than 80 years. It's easier just to go to an all-talk format.  
 
Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com

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