MusicFirst Coalition Labels Radio Industry as 'Piggish'

RADIO ONLINE | , , | :am CT

The MusicFirst Coalition, which is pushing for legislation for free local airplay, has launched a new web site at piggyradio.com that depicts the radio industry as "big radio" and "piggish." The site boldly claims that radio is "looking for a bailout by refusing to pay musicians for their work." With the site's debut was a small group of protesters at the NAB in Washington, DC, with an inflatable pig in tow.

In a statemnet, NAB Executive VP Dennis Wharton said, "It's no surprise that RIAA is now employing silly frat-boy stunts, given its well-documented practice of suing college kids to rescue a bankrupt business model. It also seems appropriate for RIAA to use an inflatable pig as its mascot, since its foreign-owned members would be the biggest beneficiaries of performance tax pork. RIAA is losing this issue on Capitol Hill and in the court of public opinion, and today's demonstration represents a new low in a campaign of utter desperation."

Wharton is referring to a resolution that opposes performance royalties on broadcast radio, the Local Radio Freedom Act, that is backed by a majority of the House and about 30 senators.

The NAB also provided sausage pizza for the five protestors demonstrating outside NAB's offices Wednesday. "We're suggesting they provide this food to the scores of exploited musicians who have had to sue their record label to recoup allegedly unpaid album royalties," Wharton added.