Dingell Calls Proposed Airplay Royalties Ridiculous

RADIO ONLINE | , , | :am CT

In a speech delivered Tuesday night at the NAB State Leadership Dinner in Washington, DC, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Emeritus John Dingell (D-MI) said he opposed legislation which aims to levy royalties for local music airplay. "Recording artists and record labels have profited handsomely for years from the free publicity they get from broadcasters," said Dingell, "a mutually beneficial relationship that a performance tax will destroy.

He continued, "I am concerned that such a tax would be of less benefit to recording artists than to record labels, many of which are based abroad... It seems ridiculous to me to impose a new punitive fee on broadcasters during this time of recession, especially as broadcasters have seen their revenues decrease by up to 40% over the past several years."

Dingell had served as Commerce chairman, or ranking Democrat, for nearly 30 years before becoming Chairman Emeritus in 2007.