NAB Statement on Proposed Radio Performance Royalty

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT
April 10, 2015	Dennis Wharton 202-429-5350 follow me

NAB STATEMENT ON REP. NADLER’S PROPOSED
RADIO PERFORMANCE TAX LEGISLATION

WASHINGTON, DC — In response to the reports that Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) plans to introduce legislation that would negatively impact local radio stations across America, NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton issued the following statement:

“NAB will strongly oppose the legislation reportedly being introduced by Rep. Nadler on Monday. It is disappointing that this bill retreads years-old policy positions rather than advancing the copyright dialogue through policies that help grow the entire music ecosystem. NAB stands ready to work with Congress on a balanced music licensing proposal that promotes innovation and recognizes the benefit of our free locally-focused platform to the benefit of artists and listeners. We’re pleased that, in a little over three months into the new Congress, 147 House Members and 11 Senators already agree that the fees proposed by Rep. Nadler would kill jobs, hurt artist promotion and devastate local economies across America.”

Reps. Michael Conaway (R-TX) and Gene Green (D-TX) are the principal sponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act (H. Con. Res. 17) in the House of Representatives. Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) are the principal sponsors of the companion resolution (S. Con. Res. 4) in the Senate.

“Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings,” reads the Local Radio Freedom Act.

The 147 House cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act include:

Ralph Abraham (LA-5)
Joe Barton (TX-6)
Joyce Beatty (OH-3)
Dan Benishek (MI-1)
Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)
Sanford Bishop (GA-2)
Rod Blum (IA-1)
Charles Boustany (LA-3)
Mo Brooks (AL-5)
Corinne Brown (FL-5)
Larry Bucshon (IN-8)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
G.K. Butterfield (NC-1)
Bradley Byrne (AL-1)
Ken Calvert (CA-42)
Michael Capuano (MA-7)
Steve Chabot (OH-1)
Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-1)
Mike Coffman (CO-6)
Tom Cole (OK-4)
Chris Collins (NY-27)
Michael Conaway (TX-11)
Paul Cook (CA-8)
Joe Courtney (CT-2)
Kevin Cramer (ND-AL)
Rick Crawford (AR-1)
Ander Crenshaw (FL-4)
John Culberson (TX-7)
Rodney Davis (IL-13)
Peter DeFazio (OR-4)
Charles Dent (PA-15)
Sean Duffy (WI-7)
John Duncan (TN-2)
Renee Ellmers (NC-2)
Blake Farenthold (TX-27)
Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-8)
Bill Flores (TX-17)
Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1)
Virginia Foxx (NC-5)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11)
Bob Gibbs (OH-7)
Christopher Gibson (NY-19)
Paul Gosar (AZ-4)
Trey Gowdy (SC-4)
Kay Granger (TX-12)
Sam Graves (MO-6)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Glenn Grothman (WI-6)
Richard Hanna (NY-22)

Gregg Harper (MS-3)
Andy Harris (MD-1)
Vicky Hartzler (MO-4)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Joseph Heck (NV-3)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Richard Hudson (NC-8)
Tim Huelskamp (KS-1)
Randy Hultgren (IL-14)
Will Hurd (TX-23)
Robert Hurt (VA-5)
Evan Jenkins (WV-3)
Lynn Jenkins (KS-2)
David Jolly (FL-13)
Jim Jordan (OH-4)
David Joyce (OH-14)
Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)
William Keating (MA-9)
Derek Kilmer (WA-6)
Ron Kind (WI-3)
Adam Kinzinger (IL-16)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-1)
John Kline (MN-2)
Ann McLane Kuster (NH-2)
Doug LaMalfa (CA-1)
Doug Lamborn (CO-5)
Leonard Lance (NJ-7)
Robert Latta (OH-5)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2)
David Loebsack (IA-2)
Billy Long (MO-7)
Frank Lucas (OK-3)
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-1)
Cynthia Lummis (WY-AL)
Stephen Lynch (MA-8)
Kenny Marchant (TX-24)
Thomas Massie (KY-4)
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5)
David McKinley (WV-1)
Luke Messer (IN-6)
Markwayne Mullin (OK-2)
Mick Mulvaney (SC-5)
Randy Neugebauer (TX-19)
Kristi Noem (SD-AL)
Devin Nunes (CA-22)
Pete Olson (TX-22)
Beto O’Rourke (TX-16)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-9)

Stevan Pearce (NM-2)
Robert Pittenger (NC-9)
Joseph Pitts (PA-16)
Ted Poe (TX-2)
Mike Pompeo (KS-4)
Charles Rangel (NY-13)
James Renacci (OH-16)
Reid Ribble (WI-8)
Harold Rogers (KY-5)
Mike Rogers (AL-3)
Todd Rokita (IN-4)
Peter Roskam (IL-6)
Dennis Ross (FL-15)
Edward Royce (CA-39)
Paul Ryan (WI-1)
Tim Ryan (OH-13)
Matt Salmon (AZ-5)
John Sarbanes (MD-3)
Kurt Schrader (OR-5)
David Schweikert (AZ-6)
David Scott (GA-13)
Pete Sessions (TX-32)
Michael Simpson (ID-2)
Albio Sires (NJ-8)
Adrian Smith (NE-3)
Christopher Smith (NJ-4)
Jason Smith (MO-8)
Steve Stivers (OH-15)
Glenn Thompson (PA-5)
Patrick Tiberi (OH-12)
Scott Tipton (CO-3)
Michael Turner (OH-10)
Marc Veasey (TX-33)
Peter Visclosky (IN-1)
Ann Wagner (MO-2)
Tim Walberg (MI-7)
Greg Walden (OR-2)
Jackie Walorski (IN-2)
Timothy Walz (MN-1)
Brad Wenstrup (OH-2)
Bruce Westerman (AR-4)
Ed Whitfield (KY-1)
Roger Williams (TX-25)
Frederica Wilson (FL-24)
Joe Wilson (SC-2)
Steve Womack (AR-3)
Kevin Yoder (KS-3)
Don Young (AK-AL)
Ryan Zinke (MT-AL)

The Local Radio Freedom Act’s 11 Senate cosponsors are:

John Barrasso (R-WY)
John Boozman (R-AR)
Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
James Inhofe (R-OK)
Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Tom Udall (D-NM)

On numerous occasions, both record label executives and artists have recognized the promotional value of free radio airplay. Recent statements include:

“We cannot break artists without radio. We really trust and respect radio and its gatekeepers. So if [radio] goes into that relationship without cynicism and with a positive and optimistic view, your growth and ours are attached, then I think things are great. “People love streaming and the more smartphones we have the more streaming there is going to be, but they also love listening to the radio. We are a company that loves being on radio.”
— Glassnote Records CEO Daniel Glass, SXSW, March 26, 2015

Most added song in the HISTORY of T40 radio! Love 2 my friends @ radio n my fans 4 inspiring me! We BREAKING RECORDS
— Tweet by R&B artist Jason DeRulo, March 17, 2015

Omigod. ‘Style’ just went NUMBER ONE at pop radio. Thanks for 3 in a row, guys. This is unreal.
— Tweet by Taylor Swift, March 16, 2015

Thank you to all of the radio station’s and fans for making “Face Everything And Rise” #1!!! Keep requesting! #FEAR
— Tweet by Papa Roach, March 3, 2015

“I would go in and play at what I would call the cubicles. I always thought that if the song sounded great in here, it would sound even better on the radio. Everyone told me that you get to go out and meet a lot of people at radio that are going to be your friends for a long time, but [radio adding your record] might not happen right away. I knew that, but I was in it for the long haul. I remember going out and having so much excitement and butterflies — thinking, ‘I hope I play my song right so they will add my record.’ But, being in the industry, you realize that it’s not just the one time, it’s the many times.”
— Country artist Eric Paslay, Billboard, February 26, 2015

“[Fans’ and artists’] relationship with country radio, it’s still the Number One source of discovery in country music.”
— Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta, Rolling Stone Country, February 25, 2015

“We dedicated all of 2014 to radio. This is a relationship business; it’s all about folks being friends.”
— 2011 “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery, Rolling Stone Country, February 25, 2015

“Radio is truly the reason I am allowed to do what I do. They are the gatekeepers. Without country radio, you’re not going anywhere. It’s all kind of up to them sometimes.”
—Country musician Chase Bryant, Rolling Stone Country, February 25, 2015

“You can ask people in the building, and I can be quoted several times a day, ‘If you’re not on country radio, you don’t exist.’ Again I can’t think of one star, much less superstar in country music, who wasn’t broken by country radio. It’s just a fact. That’s where the active audience is. That’s where they go to listen to it. People talk about, ‘It’s a media act. It’s a groundswell. We’re going to build it virally.’ That’s all nice, but I defy you to tell me one act that made it big without country radio. And they’re great partners.”
— Sony Nashville Nashville Chairman and CEO Gary Overton, The Tennessean, February 21, 2015

I forgot to thank the DJ’s & radio stations who did the mega missy mixes tribute I’m grateful!
— Tweet from rapper Missy Elliott following her Super Bowl XLIX appearance, February 2, 2015

“I appreciate somebody curating the salt and pepper for me and sharing their guidance and wisdom and ultimately giving me a better experience. I think that’s what radio can be and should be. “Local conversation and local culture isn’t disappearing necessarily just because we have a world that’s more connected. In fact I think it allows some subcultures to blossom a bit more and for local conversations to have even more power and I think that radio can certainly play a part in that.”
— Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto, June 19, 2014

About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America’s broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT
April 10, 2015	Dennis Wharton 202-429-5350 follow me