Here we go again. Every two years, Congress brings up imposing a new music royalty on broadcast radio. The latest one is called the American Music Fairness Act:
What they don't ever talk about is why this situation exists in the first place. Back in the 1920s and 30s, record companies in every other country set up structures where the artists and labels would get paid for airplay. However, in the US, record labels tried to prevent radio from playing recorded music. Then, once they saw the benefits to free airplay, they started bribing radio stations to play their music. That led Congress to pass payola laws that are supposed to prevent any exchange of money or favors between radio & records. Nobody would have cared about royalties except in the 80s and 90s, the major labels were sold to foreign conglomerates in France, Germany, and Japan. There, labels & artists receive a royalty. So now, the corporate owners in other countries want to get the same thing here. Except it's 80 years too late, and we already have laws that make this kind of thing subject to payola laws.
As a result, year after year, this issue comes up, and nothing happens. It doesn't even make it out of committee. But they do it anyway, because the people in congress have to make it look like they're doing something. We all know better.
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What they don't ever talk about is why this situation exists in the first place. Back in the 1920s and 30s, record companies in every other country set up structures where the artists and labels would get paid for airplay. However, in the US, record labels tried to prevent radio from playing recorded music. Then, once they saw the benefits to free airplay, they started bribing radio stations to play their music. That led Congress to pass payola laws that are supposed to prevent any exchange of money or favors between radio & records. Nobody would have cared about royalties except in the 80s and 90s, the major labels were sold to foreign conglomerates in France, Germany, and Japan. There, labels & artists receive a royalty. So now, the corporate owners in other countries want to get the same thing here. Except it's 80 years too late, and we already have laws that make this kind of thing subject to payola laws.
As a result, year after year, this issue comes up, and nothing happens. It doesn't even make it out of committee. But they do it anyway, because the people in congress have to make it look like they're doing something. We all know better.
