LRFA Garners Additional Bipartisan Support in House, Senate

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, June 14, 2021

U.S. Congress

Fourteen members of the House of Representatives and three Senators have added their support to the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA) opposing "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations bringing the number of cosponsors to 138 in the House and 18 in the Senate. The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) expressed their support for the resolution, which signals members of Congress's opposition to any potential legislation that imposes new performance royalties on broadcast radio stations for music airplay, in a letter to congressional leaders on June 11.

Adding their support recently for the Local Radio Freedom Act in the House are Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI-1), Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8), John Carter (R-TX-31), Liz Cheney (R-WY-AL), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6), Trent Kelly (R-MS-1), Darin LaHood (R-IL-18), Frank Mrvan (D-IN-1), Amata Radewagen (R-AS-DL), Tom Rice (R-SC-7), Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2) and Chris Stewart (R-UT-2). Adding their support for the resolution in the Senate are Sens. Mike Braun (R-IN), John Hoeven (R-ND) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS).

Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) and Steve Womack (R-AR-3) are the principal co-sponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act in the House of Representatives. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and John Barrasso (R-WY) are the lead co-sponsors of a companion resolution in the Senate.

In its letter, NRB asked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12), Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to support the LRFA in order to "protect local radio stations that play music as part of their programming from having to pay new performance royalties that would cripple, and in some cases decimate, the ability of such radio stations to continue operations."