Bill is right!
they have the lawyers and the money to pay them very well!
Since the DMCA also limits free speech; it might just might violate the first amendment.
DMCA as written, is literary the government coming into your radio station and telling you what you can play and how to play it. It stifles all creative freedom and expression by telling you what you can't say on a streaming broadcast. A well greased congress & a sleeping public allowed this mistake to happen. The fact is the RIAA & SoundExchange were allowed to manipulated our pinhead legislators, one of them is now our Vice President, so don't think the greedy democrats like well lubed Diane Feinstein did not have their hands in the cookie jar too.
The DMCA also prohibits the playing of imported versions & artist if they are not authorized for airplay in the US. As an example, I could not legally play the German version of a Petula Clark (In English) song on our Oldies station, or play Strawberry Switchblade's Japanese released remixes on our 80's station. You are are also not allowed to tell a listener what is coming up in the next 20 minutes, or do an artist spotlight with a triple play. You are also told when and how often you can repeat a broadcast, in very precise terms.
It's not just about robbing your piggy bank of every last penny in it, but also serious control of everything you say and do on your radio station. Who would ever guess twenty years ago it would be the US government, controlling every aspect of broadcasting, and willing to destroy and imprison you if you don't comply. You would have expected it out of the USSR, but not out of the land of the free.
Well I for one! No more want the US government in my control room than my bedroom. And yes one of my stations has finally invaded the bedroom, so complying with their rules is a double invasion for me and many of us.
You don't suppose the N.A.B. was behind this, as to keeping us independent broadcasters from invading their turf? I find it most interesting that rules and high rates don't apply to the Mega Broadcasters, how convenient for them. Even small over the air broadcasters are being hammered with new higher rates, one small broadcaster had his rates jump from $6000 to $40,000. The rates for the Mega Broadcasters actually went down at the expense of the little guy; what a surprise!
Wow... Those people are some kind of Evil
You would be amazed at how many recording artist would agree with you, I just spoke to a couple artist and a manager who share your feelings. The record industry invents new ways daily to screw the artist out of their royalties, while keeping them on a short control lease at the same time. Many Artist don't even bother cashing their measly .38 cent checks they get from time to time. Believe it or not; the Artist are on our side on this matter; they are getting screwed over just like us.
For us the solution is simple; keep the music servers off shore, and don't target the US in the programming. As mentioned before; for our indie artist stations, we are covered with signed releases from the artist themselves. I prefer to cut out the greedy middleman and give the generated revenue directly to the artist who need it most.
Leave it to our stupid government to send another industry offshore, but where there is a will there is a way.
We already have servers offshore, and are easily controlled from anywhere in the world; all we need is a couple of laptops, a mixer for the mics and we can do a show from the beach, houseboat on the river or the middle of the desert.
With wireless, it's pretty hard to trace down the source, as the song says: "Catch Me If You Can"
All I can say is thank god that doesn't Apply to part 15 Terrestrial Broadcasting. And I hope it never does.
Mega Dittos on that!
Steve
www.radiooutlaw.com