Indie Promoters and Performance Royalities (was: Prov.: Oldies 790; WPRO AM simulcast on 99.7)

[Aaron Read]

If this performance royalty goes through, also look for the number of 
NPR and religious outfits to EXPLODE in the NCE band as college radio 
stations cough weakly and die, unable to afford the new fees. 
Administrations will generally be unwilling to deal with the hassle and 
will just cash in for the quick payoff of a station sale; those with 
some shred of decency (and/or no state laws forcing them to sell to the 
highest bidder) will try and sell to an NPR outlet who might continue to 
make some room for interested students.

The rest will just take the duffel bags full of unmarked, non-sequential 
tens and twenties from Calvary Chapel, et al.  :-)

If NPR corporate is "smart" what they'll do is position themselves to be 
in a place where they can leverage their brand image and LMA (if not buy 
outright) dozens of these college stations.  It'll enrage the local 
affiliates, no doubt...but it'll ensure NPR's fiscal future.  Because if 
NPR doesn't do it, I'll bet American Public Media will.

-- 

-----------------------------------------------------------
Aaron Read	       |  General Manager, WEOS 89.7FM
friedbagels@gmail.com  |  Fried Bagels Broadcast Consulting
Rochester, NY 14618    |  (315) 521-0569 cell

(snip)
something.  Those days are gone forever, not only because of Spitzer's 
antics, but because the record industry is in such turmoil and decline 
that they don't know whether to work with radio or bite radio's nose 
off, in the form of a 'performance royalty'.  I can tell you that IF 
there is ultimately a performance royalty in radio, look for more 
news/talk/sports and Spanish on the FM band.  Also look for stations to 
charge labels and sponsor ID hours like the "Universal hour", or look 
for big radio (CCU, CXR, CBS, ROIA) to go directly to artists to get 
them to waive any fees payable to Sound Exchange or their records will 
no loner be played.  A great PD once said, "You never get hurt by a song 
that you don't play".  But it will be terrible...and a shame.

Alan