Six stations in Wisconsin stop playing music to protest the proposed HR-848 performance rights act
Five music radio stations in Wausau, WI decided to make a statement against HR-848, the performance rights act currently being considered by Congress. They stopped playing music for one hour during morning drive. Midwest Communications-owned “CHR” WIFC-FM (99.5), “Country” WDEZ-FM (101.9), “Sports” WRIG-AM (1390), “Talk” WSAU-AM (550) & “A/C” WOFM-FM (94.7) all simulcasted a talk forum hosted by station personalities about what radio could sound like if HR-848 is enacted. The bill would require stations to pay money for artist performance fees to record companies in order to play their music. Stations already pay fees to songwriters for any music played on stations, through organizations like ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Midwest Communications OM Chris Conley tells WFXS-TV, “One of the things that is the biggest frustrations for us is the tax would go to the record labels. Three of the four biggest record labels are foreign owned … that literally goes, not only out of our community, but literally out of our country.” Many radio companies and smaller stations believe if the bill is enacted, it would force some stations to stop playing
Five music radio stations in Wausau, WI decided to make a statement against HR-848, the performance rights act currently being considered by Congress. They stopped playing music for one hour during morning drive. Midwest Communications-owned “CHR” WIFC-FM (99.5), “Country” WDEZ-FM (101.9), “Sports” WRIG-AM (1390), “Talk” WSAU-AM (550) & “A/C” WOFM-FM (94.7) all simulcasted a talk forum hosted by station personalities about what radio could sound like if HR-848 is enacted. The bill would require stations to pay money for artist performance fees to record companies in order to play their music. Stations already pay fees to songwriters for any music played on stations, through organizations like ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Midwest Communications OM Chris Conley tells WFXS-TV, “One of the things that is the biggest frustrations for us is the tax would go to the record labels. Three of the four biggest record labels are foreign owned … that literally goes, not only out of our community, but literally out of our country.” Many radio companies and smaller stations believe if the bill is enacted, it would force some stations to stop playing