Judiciary Committee to Markup American Music Fairness Act

RADIO ONLINE | Sunday, December 4, 2022 | 2:04pm CT

U.S. Congress

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee will markup the American Music Fairness Act this week. The Act would mandate a new performance fee on over-the-air music airplay on free, local radio stations that many say would jeopardize local jobs, prevent new artists from breaking into the recording business and harm the hundreds of millions of Americans who rely on local radio by forcing additional fees.

NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said in a statement, "More than 250 bipartisan cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act, including a majority of the House of Representatives, stand with America's local broadcasters against this onerous performance fee that would irrevocably damage local radio. In spite of this, the recording industry continues its uncompromising pursuit of this one-sided proposal that would upend the relationship between artists and broadcast radio.

"NAB remains committed to working to find a mutually beneficial solution to this decades-old policy disagreement, but this AMFA proposal is not the answer. A markup of this legislation as drafted simply ensures that yet another Congress will pass without meaningful progress on this issue."

Broadcasters have gained the strong bipartisan support of legislators from across the country to support the Local Radio Freedom Act, which opposes a performance royalty, and is supported by more than 250 members of the House and Senate.