Congress Introduces AM-FM Act to Revise Copyright Law for Terrestrial Radio

[ChrisSmolinski]

No word if this would apply to shortwave pirate radio stations 

Senator Marsha Blackburn and Rep. Jerrold Nadler today introduced the Ask Musicians for Music Act (AM-FM), which aims to revise existing copyright law for radio stations and musicians.

Under the current copyright system, radio stations can use sound recordings over their airwaves without paying royalties to creators who own a stake in the sound recordings. The AM-FM Act would require all radio services to pay fair-market value for the music they use.

https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/congress-am-fm-act-copyright-law-terrestrial-radio-1203412412/

[BoomboxDX]

If passed, more commercials, talk and religion (and other brokered radio) coming to the airwaves near you.

[Brian]

I'm astonished that stations don't that already.
They do here.  The amount is calculated on the stations turnover, I think. The bigger the station, the more they pay.
Even ordinary businesses that have a radio on in their office/shop have to pay as it's considered a public performance.
That way,the musician gets payed  multiple times.

Way back in the 1980's. one of the big pirates here offered to pay performance rights in an attempt to appear legal but it was refused.

[Josh]

"the musician gets payed "

lol

[BoomboxDX]

I'm astonished that stations don't that already.
They do here.  The amount is calculated on the stations turnover, I think. The bigger the station, the more they pay.
Even ordinary businesses that have a radio on in their office/shop have to pay as it's considered a public performance.
That way,the musician gets payed  multiple times.

Way back in the 1980's. one of the big pirates here offered to pay performance rights in an attempt to appear legal but it was refused.

Stations pay BMI, ASCAP, etc., but this proposed law is a different deal. This would require stations to pay considerably more money per play than they pay now -- which, from what little I understand, is a lot less than digital royalties are.