Important News for Blues Internet Radio Fans!

Hey Blues fans,

WE NEED YOUR HELP! IllinoisBlues.com has been bringing you great blues music radio streams which provide free blues music on the internet. (Click HERE to view our Blues Radio page if you have not tried our FREE Blues Music Streaming)

The Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, DC recently decided to triple the royalty rates for webcasters streaming music on the web!

As you know WGLT is one of IllinoisBlues.com's sponsors. WGLT's excellent 24X7 blues stream is in danger of being a casualty of this decision. So are all the other links on our Blues Radio age!

These stations can NOT afford this increase! This music is going to DIE on May 15th, 2007 unless you act NOW!  Please read on to help stop this!

Copyright Decision Threatens Internet Blues Radio Streams

The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has decided to dramatically increase the royalties payments owed to rights holders to stream sound recordings of music offered on the internet. This includes public radio websites and ALL non-commercial websites. Most Internet Blues Radio Streams are non-commercial!

Changes to the Board’s decision can only occur by appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia or by congressional legislative action. The decision by the CRB  makes the following changes:

Eliminates the distinction between noncommercial and commercial media.
Requires complicated record-keeping that will place a huge burden on small blues radio stations .
Penalizes public radio for fulfilling its statutorily-mandated mission of bringing new, culturally enriching programming to the American public
Sets a chilling precedent for future rights discussions, negotiations and litigation that may undermine non-commercial public service programming

How YOU can help!
HAVE YOU CALLED YOUR SENATOR OR CONGRESSMAN YET?

You can contact your representatives on Capitol Hill to alert them that you oppose this decision and its potential negative impact on your favorite blues station or public radio station streaming Blues radio. 

First go to this site http://www.savenetradio.org/  and email to your representatives in congress. It is easy and painless on this site. We received a response from our Senator in Illinois in just 2 days!

ALSO you should use the links below to find out more about this issue and then contact your legislators to stop this money grab by the major record companies and media moguls who do not want to allow free Blues music on the internet.

Save The Streams - http://www.savethestreams.org/

RAIN: Radio and Internet Newsletter - http://www.kurthanson.com/

Copyright Royalty Board - http://www.loc.gov/crb/

U.S. House of Representatives: www.house.gov  - U.S. Senate: www.senate.gov

 

IllinoisBlues.com thanks you for your support on this issue!

 

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