Airplay Royalties Opposition Grows in House, Senate

RADIO ONLINE | , , | :am CT

Four additional House members and three more U.S. Senators have added their support to the Local Radio Freedom Act, a bipartisan resolution opposing the record label-led effort to levy royalties on local radio stations for airplay. LRFA is now supported by a bipartisan group of 244 House members and 23 U.S. Senators.

Reps. Bobby Rush (IL-1), John Adler (NJ-3), Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46), Steve Scalise (LA-1) and Sens. Susan Collins (ME), Thad Cochran (MS) and Johnny Isakson (GA) are the latest lawmakers to join a growing chorus of Congressional opposition to legislation supported by the recording industry.

"Liberals, moderates and conservatives are uniting in opposition to RIAA's effort to line the coffers of foreign record labels at the expense of America's free and local radio stations," said NAB Executive VP Dennis Wharton. "We salute these members of Congress for recognizing the unique role played by radio broadcasters in communities across the country."

The Local Radio Freedom Act, unveiled at a February Capitol Hill event hosted by the Free Radio Alliance, was introduced by Reps. Gene Green (TX-29) and Mike Conaway (TX-11). In March, an identical resolution was introduced in the Senate by Blanche Lincoln (AR) and John Barrasso (WY).