SoundExchange Offers Some Webcasters a Break

[Corned Beef and Cabbage]

Those with less than $1.2 Million in annual revenue would pay a reduced rate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/22/AR2007052201453.html

 

[titoisradio]

Those with less than $1.2 Million in annual revenue would pay a reduced rate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/22/AR2007052201453.html

This is not good, the bill before Congress is much better as it is only 7.5% of revenues and is locked in by statute until 2010.

 

[vsa]

This is an effort to take the air out of the SaveNetRadio.org effort while trying to divide and conquer. For some smaller webcasters, it's nothing more than putting off an execution until 2011. For others, the only option from SoundExchange remains curl up and die or become indentured servants and give them all of your money and then some.

The National Association of Broadcasters is now unanimously on-board in support of the principles behind IREA - the Internet Radio Equality Act, HR 2060 in the House and S. 1353 in the Senate.

The standard for Internet radio copyright royalties must be changed from "willing buyer, willing seller" to the language in the new bills that includes concepts such as fairness and viability - concepts now aplicable to satcasters and cablecasters.

 

[jefflaurence]

There needs to be a different set of fees for hobbycasters. This may well be the only entry level that a beginning broadcaster has these days..so they need a break.

Alternatively two partners and I have copywitten the intellectual property that would become an advetising clearinghouse for minimum revenue and hobbycasters. Placing a minimum of ONE 60 spot per hour on their streams that would pay thier fees and increase their listener caps at no cost to them. Let me know if you know of someone or station that would like to be included on our list of webcasters to get information.

Please put "spot placement" in the subject line

[email protected]

 

[JbeJay]

... an advetising clearinghouse for minimum revenue and hobbycasters. Placing a minimum of ONE 60 spot per hour on their streams that would pay thier fees and increase their listener caps at no cost to them.

Interesting concept, Jeff.

I understand the idea of covering their fees with spots that you would sell, but have two questions:
1. If a 60 per hour is the minimum, what is the maximum you would take?
2. How does this approach "increase their listener caps"?

Thanks for any further info.

Jay

 

[jefflaurence]

Jay. The added revenue can pay for added bandwidth to increase the number of online listeners at the same time. The webcaster would be the one who chose to make this improvement to his/her streaming contract. The business model for our partnership includes a commission payable to the streaming companies as well. The more streams that carry our content 1 minute up to 5 min per hour, the more the streaming providers make. The tier system for spot placement will go to the streamcasters with more potential listeners, and the highest quality streams in bitrate.

Example: If a streamer with Live365 is running a 24 hour format in 128kbps, they would be offered first placement. If they do not wish to carry any content then we go to the next most desireable streamer (maybe 92kbs or 64kbps) All it will require is an initial communication from the streamcaster indicating that they would like to make some revenue from their efforts..we send the contract, and the secure website for retrieving their audio spots, along with our weekly schedule of what needs to be run,and when.

Each streamcaster will be responsible for downloading and adding our commercial content to thier stream, and an afadavit system is in place along with the aforementioned contract that places a reasonable but completely legal financial/material penalty for violation of the commercial placement which could include seizure of the URL until the penalties are satisfied. There is also a group of paid associates who will monitor streams and report any infractions so it is in everyone's best interest to adhere to the agreement and run the spots as agreed. This is only fair. Streamers will be allowed to opt-out with 30 days notice.

Commercial content will be in the form of per-inquiry (800 number) spots and national commercial content, and will be placed by strem genre and listener appeal. Also the only streamers that we would place content with would have to be flying on the "radar" of SoundExchange and the other governing bodies. Our intent is to give the streamers a way to pay for their service, and our client advertisers a new, untapped, and potentially large audience.

The specific business model will be as registered with copyright attorneys and offices in Missouri and Georgia. This system is different from Google, or some of the others by providing actual audio spots produced FOR the streaming market..and specifically for the hobbyist and limited-revenue streamcaster.