Free Radio is a coalition of people and organizations whose mission is to keep radio and other businesses that play recorded music strong for communities across the nation by opposing a performance tax.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the big international record labels are behind a proposal to tax radio stations, and to eventually expand the tax to restaurants, retail stores, and any other established that play recorded music. They claim that radio and others are getting a free ride, when in fact the recording industry has publicly stated that it has benefited from more than 70 years of free promotion on radio, the same conclusion Congress has reached on several occasions over the past decade.
The record companies claim to help artists, but much of the proposed revenue would NOT go to the recording artists. In fact, much of the revenue would not even go to American-based companies. Three out of the four big record labels are foreign-owned conglomerates headquartered outside the United States.
If the new tax is approved by Congress, it could force thousands of smaller, niche radio stations and public venues out of business. Even the bigger radio stations would have less revenue to provide local news and information. Public service announcements and community service campaigns would become less available in order for radio to make room for more advertisements to counter revenue lost to the performance tax.
Local radio stations, restaurants, stores and others shouldn’t have to pay for the record companies’ failure to adapt to the digital age.
Join the coalition today and tell Congress to keep standing up to the big record companies! |
