THERE is a petition out (mainly directed at US listeners) that hopes to save Pandora and other Internet radio services. Pandora is a project of the Music Genome Project. I was introduced to this service almost two months ago. It is a unique Internet radio service not only because it is free, but also allows you to connect and find new music through its intelligent search feature.
This is the e-mail I got from its founder, urging people to support a petition against plans to jack up licensing fees for Internet radio services.
The broadcast e-mail I received from founder Tim Westergren as early as April 18 begins:
Hi, it’s Tim from Pandora,
I’m writing today to ask for your help. 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.
In response to these new and unfair fees, we have formed the SaveNetRadio Coalition, a group that includes listeners, artists, labels and webcasters. I hope that you will consider joining us.
Please sign our petition urging your Congressional representative to act to save Internet radio: http://capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9631541
To the Pandora team, good luck and here’s to “free” music!
April 30th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
[...] Just a background: I e-mailed them to ask why they petitioned against a bill that aims to increase the royalty fees of music played by Internet radio services. [...]
April 26th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
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