Hundreds of recording artists are calling upon legislators to pass a bill requiring radio stations to pay musicians for the rights to play their music, NBC News reported.
More than 300 artists signed a letter, which was obtained by NBC News, sent to lawmakers this week arguing that the current laws surrounding terrestrial radio stations cause musicians to miss out on upwards of $1 billion in royalties and call on them to pass the American Music Fairness Act.
Some of the signatories include Barbra Streisand, Céline Dion, Gloria Estefan, James Taylor, and the members of the band Aerosmith.
Under the current system, the majority of terrestrial radio stations pay a subscription fee to a performing rights organization that distributes royalties to publishers and composers, but not performers.
"For decades now, corporate broadcasters have unjustly exploited an antiquated loophole in the law to profit from advertising generated from unlimited use of free music," the letter said. "Each year, AM/FM radio stations play nearly a billion songs. And each year, giant radio corporations rake in billions in advertising dollars while refusing to pay a single cent to the artists behind the music."
Some radio station advocacy groups, including the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, pushed back on the bill, saying that the industry cannot handle the additional cost of expanding royalty payments.
"Such additional royalties could potentially financially cripple many local radio stations and harm the millions of listeners who rely on local radio for news, emergency information, weather updates and entertainment," the group said in a statement.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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