Black Radio Stations & Others Could Be In Jeopardy!! Save Our Radios!!

[DeMarco35]

Congressman John Conyers from the Congressional Black Caucus is sponsoring a Performance Tax Bill that could put the majority of Black Radio Stations, Pirates and others out of business if the House and the Senate gets their way. Clear Channel, Radio-One and other radio medias will feel this effect.
From Kiss 108 all the way down to Hot 97. Right now, radio stations currently are playing artist's music for free; but that could all change if this bill passes and goes into law, forcing Black radio stations and others to start paying these music artist that will not see one dime of that money that's really going overseas to these major record labels rippin off these artist...AGAIN!

Question:
If U.S. Congressman John Conyers helps to get this bill pass through the House and the Senate, should President Obama veto that bill? That is a disgraced of what John Conyers is doing.

More information:
http://realityradioonline.com/

More of what John Conyers is doing by trying to destroy Black radio stations and others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTJTqoZxZ70

 

[Uncle Kaimbridge]

Congressman John Conyers from the Congressional Black Caucus is sponsoring a Performance Tax Bill that could put the majority of Black Radio Stations, Pirates

Pirates? Why should an imposed tax on lawful, licensed stations affect them?

More information:
http://realityradioonline.com/

More of what John Conyers is doing by trying to destroy Black radio stations and others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTJTqoZxZ70

Where have you been? This pending bill (and a counterbill) has been all the rage in the trade mag's (AllAcess, InsideRadio, etc.) since I don't know when! :

 

[DeMarco35]

Pirates? Why should an imposed tax on lawful, licensed stations affect them?

Where have you been? This pending bill (and a counterbill) has been all the rage in the trade mag's (AllAcess, InsideRadio, etc.) since I don't know when! :

I've been knew about this since last year, but do others know about this? (Not really!) Or they don't wanna know about this or just afraid to talk about it? As for pirates whether licensed or not, ask John Conyers, he's sponsoring it. I don't know what he's trying to do or what he's gonna get out of this thinking (in his mind) it's gonna pass through the house and senate. Question you should be asking, what is John Conyers gonna get out of this bill? Hopefully, DOA!!

 

[raccoonradio]

Oh no--pirate radio stations that don't pay royalties or FCC fees will have performance taxes that they also won't pay!

btw there have been many ads on certain radio stations urging people to fight the perf tax. WTKK has aired one (with
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'm Michael Graham) saying that even though WTKK isn't a music station, it has sister stations which are
music stations and it would hurt their company's ability to provide great radio). Entercom may have done this too(even airing on talk WRKO). "Write to (US Representative) and thank them for supporting an end to the radio tax"
(or something like that)

 

[DeMarco35]

Oh no--pirate radio stations that don't pay royalties or FCC fees will have performance taxes that they also won't pay!

Yeah, but why is John Conyers "NOW' targeting all licensed and pirate radio stations (Mostly Black Owned) that can't afford to pay these artist record labels overseas? Does it have anything to do with his re-election bid and wants those votes? Maybe so! A publicity political stunt? In my opinion, YES! Not only it won't pass, but he will fail trying to attempt to get that bill pass into law. lol! I can see Obama vetoing that bill right now. :

 

[Deleted User]

I support the fee, and as a XM Subscriber I have to pay it, because Sat Casters were required by law to pay it while Broadcasters do not.

Support the musicians who play on the tracks!

 

[PaulRAnderson]

Why is this being misrepresented as an attack on "black radio"? This is old news, and would involve every station that plays music.

As far as pirates go, they should be forced off the air because they are breaking the law and interfering with licensed stations.

Oppose this legislation if you want, but touting it as something racial is not truthful.

Paul

 

[ArtSpooner]

I'm confused. Why does this only affect black radio stations? And further confusion.....isn't John Conyers black?

 

[Don Juan]

Support the musicians who play on the tracks!

Most (if not all) of the money goes to record companies. (foreigh owned)...not necessarily to artists.

Knowing how record companies have ripped off their artists in the past, I don't believe this supports the artists.

This is being sold as a performance fee....when it is a tax for the record companies, who keep the majority of it.

 

[raccoonradio]

Yes and now that I think of it, the anti-perf tax ads did mention the $ going to foreign owned labels, etc.

It was said that some stations like non-comm./college would have to pay a fee but it would be reduced.

 

[mescutia]

Why is this being misrepresented as an attack on "black radio"?

So the race card can be played?

Most (if not all) of the money goes to record companies. (foreigh owned)...not necessarily to artists.

Knowing how record companies have ripped off their artists in the past, I don't believe this supports the artists.

This is one reason why I listen to and support independent artists, particularly by buying their music as directly from them as possible. They get more of my money that way.

 

[rapking]

I'm confused. Why does this only affect black radio stations? And further confusion.....isn't John Conyers black?

This does not only affect Black radio but it will affect black radio more ( AKA like the unemployment rate right now ). Yes John Conyers is Black and Sellout and Jacka$$ come in all colors.

 

[CTListener]

Support the musicians who play on the tracks!

Most (if not all) of the money goes to record companies. (foreigh owned)...not necessarily to artists.

Knowing how record companies have ripped off their artists in the past, I don't believe this supports the artists.

This is being sold as a performance fee....when it is a tax for the record companies, who keep the majority of it.

What are the actual percentages called for in the bill? 90 percent record companies, 10 percent artists? 70-30? 60-40? Or are there numbers in the bill that you don't believe will be enforced thanks to some nefarious government/corporate scheme and coverup?

 

[Don Juan]

Support the musicians who play on the tracks!

Most (if not all) of the money goes to record companies. (foreigh owned)...not necessarily to artists.

Knowing how record companies have ripped off their artists in the past, I don't believe this supports the artists.

This is being sold as a performance fee....when it is a tax for the record companies, who keep the majority of it.

What are the actual percentages called for in the bill? 90 percent record companies, 10 percent artists? 70-30? 60-40?

I have heard all sorts of numbers...including an arrangement where the record companies decide how much the artists are to be paid. But more importantly, the record companies will be in charge of the accounting and passing along of any revenue. More than likely, like health care, we won't know for sure until the bill is passed, because it is constantly being tweaked.

Or are there numbers in the bill that you don't believe will be enforced thanks to some nefarious government/corporate scheme and coverup?

As said earlier, the record companies will be in charge of distributing the money. Considering that so many big record stars died penniless...the scheme doesn't have to be nefarious...as much as it is based on the record companies reputation of ripping off artists.

Bo Diddley and many others were ripped off by record companies who used creative bookkeeping to keep most of the money.

Every suggestion is that the record companies will get the majority of this tax. (Latest I heard is 90%). This goes to the big foreign owned companies.

 

[JIBGUY]

The split is "50-50". However, the labels will parce out the "other 50" to the artists and publishers. But there will be the standard 20% distribution "costs" the labels will charge to the artists' 50%... making the artists and publishers getting 40% of the total take. And I am sure that even that 40% will be reduced by the labels' trickery.

One thing that should also be considered in this debate are the spending habits of artists. Just because someone who had a hit record and is now pennyless, doesn't mean they didn't already make a decent amount of money off their hit records. We don't know the artists' spending habits..... There are plenty of rumors (and facts) of how foolishly some artists kept themselves high.

But the labels do have a solid reputation of screwing the artists. In general, they always have and always will. If this bill passes and becomes law, the pittance that the labels have customarily paid to artists will disappear in future contracts with the artists, where the labels will tell the artists that AM-FM radio will pay the artists' income. So all this is, is a switcheroo.

If ANY legislation is needed on this issue, it should be to set minimum income percentages paid to artists, from the pockets of the LABELS.

So it certainly appears that Conyers, Leahy, Pelosi, Berman are all rather stupid men; thinking that the artist will benefit from this bill.

I really would like to know the outcome of this NOW.... So perhaps we should all ask Dionne Warwick, who foresees things so clearly. (I may have spelled her name wrong as she added an "e" to Warwick [ = Warwicke ] in the 1970's because her astrologer said it would add more fame and fortune to her career.)

And another thought.... pirate stations will not be affected. We all know that.

Further thought..... The labels have successfully convinced almost everyone that this is "for the artists". Every newspaper who has reported on this story has a headline mentioning (more money for) ARTISTS. Only towards the end of each story, do articles mention the 50-50 thing. Newspapers have fallen hook, line & sinker for RIAA misleading propaganda.

President Obama has recently indicated that he is on the artists' side. Any why not? This bill would send heaping bagfuls of U.S. money to London, Paris and Tokyo.

 

[carmen]

performance taxes that they also won't pay!

this is funny. take your typical boston black urban music station. your choice, your big city, your hot97

go look up ward21, they put their latest riddims on Mediafire, and link it off theri twitter. one of the hottest dancehall production groups going

every time they play a track, theyre essentially paying the artist by creating mindshare and increasing the number of people who will go to their shows when theyre in town..

if you buy pizza at the pizza or roti shop buying ads on the station, youre indirectly its paying a stations electric bills and indirectly^2 the artists.

where is the problem again? besides that some ASCAP or FCC-licensing vultures didnt get their fingers in the pie?

 

[carmen]

BMI offers the convenient $227 a year "Part 15" http://www.bmi.com/forms/licensing/radio/part_15_radio_license.pdf deal!

considering they probably use the addresses in the FCC Field Notices to mail out bills, they probably ought to owe FCC a kickback

 

[ArtSpooner]

I'm confused. Why does this only affect black radio stations? And further confusion.....isn't John Conyers black?

This does not only affect Black radio but it will affect black radio more ( AKA like the unemployment rate right now ). Yes John Conyers is Black and Sellout and Jacka$$ come in all colors.

Still confused. Are you saying that black radio station owners will have to pay more than others?

 

[rapking]

I'm confused. Why does this only affect black radio stations? And further confusion.....isn't John Conyers black?

This does not only affect Black radio but it will affect black radio more ( AKA like the unemployment rate right now ). Yes John Conyers is Black and Sellout and Jacka$$ come in all colors.

Still confused. Are you saying that black radio station owners will have to pay more than others?

No . Black format stations make less money than other format stations ( by avg. ). AKA John Doe make 100,000 a year but he has to pay his Ex-wife 30,000 a year but John Doe JR. make 60,000 a year but he has to pay his Ex-wife 30,000 a year ( same bill different affect ). Overall this Bill is Bad for All music stations.

 

[SRGuide]

The bit about the Performance "Tax" going to foreign companies instead of "local" radio is a huge pile of manure. Who lent the money to Clear Channel, Cumulus, Citadel to fund their credit facilities and to what country is Clear Channel, et al paying interest on their debt? When the $20 billion privatization transaction occured the banks who provided funding to Bain Capital were:
Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Wachovia

3 of that list are not U.S. banks, and it's anyone's guess how much of the funds for the three "American" global banks was raised in the U.S. Capital market. Since then, the situation has just gotten less clear with their billboard company selling bonds and then lending that money to the parent corp. A large portion of Clear Channel Outdoor's assets and revenue are from Europe.

Mega-Radio companies funded by global equity firms using foreign capital crying "buy american" is just trying to appeal to the xenophobia of Bubba. I think they way over-estimate that people actually care if the mega radio companies vanish some day. The truly local radio stations, maybe.. I'm certain Clear Channel spends almost nothing in the local area. The "local" programming is coming from another city an hour's drive away.

The thing that is the most hard to defend is when I see a news/talk station with an ad about the Performance Tax.... or news/talk stations who claimed to have stopped streaming due to the CRB/Soundexchange royalty.... ummm you're not playing music, other than perhaps an incidental music fee