Web DJs silenced by royalty fees

WEB DJs SILENCED BY ROYALTY FEES
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jim Puzzanghera jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com]
In March, a panel of federal judges sharply increased the royalty charges for playing music online. The decision threatens the diversity that webcasters bring to an era of large radio conglomerates and homogenized Top 40 playlists on many over-the-air stations. Each month an estimated 72 million listeners tune in to thousands of Internet radio stations programmed by devotees of every musical genre and subgenre. Those stations often feature programming that's like a party mix that can be shared with the world, including obscure and independent recordings never heard on the FM or even satellite airwaves. Internet radio providers stopped their music streams to avoid racking up more obligations after the Copyright Royalty Board set the new rates March 2. They say they would resurrect their stations if Congress or the courts halted the controversial hike, which by 2010 will more than double the current rate of .0762 of a cent each time a song is played.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-radio12jul12,1,1321408.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business
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