Local Radio Freedom Act Gains Support of Majority of House of Representatives

Local Radio Freedom Act Gains Support of Majority of House of Representatives 223 Representatives now cosponsor resolution opposing performance royalty on broadcast radio stations Washington, D.C. -- A bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives now supports the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA) after 12 House Members added their cosponsorship to the resolution opposing any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge on local broadcast radio stations. The resolution, which signals Members of Congresss opposition to any potential legislation that imposes new performance royalties on broadcast radio stations for music airplay, now has 223 cosponsors in the House and 27 in the Senate.

Adding their support recently for the Local Radio Freedom Act in the House are Reps. Michael Burgess (R-TX-26), Danny Davis (D-IL-7), Mike Garcia (R-CA-25), Chris Jacobs (R-NY-27), Ben McAdams (D-UT-4), Michael McCaul (R-TX-10), John Moolenaar (R-MI-4), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-9), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11) and Thomas Tiffany (R-WI-7).

NAB greatly appreciates the bipartisan coalition of Representatives and Senators who have declared their support for hometown radio stations by cosponsoring the Local Radio Freedom Act, sad NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. A performance royalty would inhibit musicians' exposure on free and local radio, hurt stations' ability to serve their communities, and damage the long-standing relationship between broadcasters and the recording industry. In these difficult times for all businesses, radio broadcasters thank lawmakers for opposing a job-killing performance royalty and look forward to continuing to provide unparalleled promotional value for new and established performing artists.

Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) and Michael Conaway (R-TX-11) are the principal cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act in the House of Representatives (H. Con. Res. 20). Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) are the lead cosponsors of a companion resolution in the Senate (S. Con. Res. 5).

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 the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station broadcast over the air, reads the Local Radio Freedom Act.

The 223 House cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act include (new cosponsors in bold):

Ralph Abraham (R-LA-5)

Alma Adams (D-NC-12)

Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Mark Amodei (R-NV-2)

Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19)

Brian Babin (R-TX-36)

Don Bacon (R-NE-2)

James Baird (R-IN-4)

Troy Balderston (R-OH-12)

Jim Banks (R-IN-3)

Andy Barr (R-KY-6)

Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3)

Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12)

Dan Bishop (R-NC-9)

Rob Bishop (R-UT-1)

Sanford Bishop (D-GA-2)

Mike Bost (R-IL-12)

Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2)

Kevin Brady (R-TX-8)

Mo Brooks (R-AL-5)

Susan Brooks (R-IN-5)

Anthony Brown (D-MD-4)

Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16)

Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8)

Ted Budd (R-NC-13)

Michael Burgess (R-TX-26)

Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17)

G.K. Butterfield (D-NC-1)

Bradley Byrne (R-AL-1)

Ken Calvert (R-CA-42)

Andre Carson (D-IN-7)

Buddy Carter (R-GA-1)

John Carter (R-TX-31)

Kathy Castor (D-FL-14)

Steve Chabot (R-OH-1)

Liz Cheney (R-WY-AL)

Lacy Clay (D-MO-1)

Tom Cole (R-OK-4)

James Comer (R-KY-1)

Michael Conaway (R-TX-11)

Paul Cook (R-CA-8)

Jim Costa (D-CA-16)

Joe Courtney (D-CT-2)

Rick Crawford (R-AR-1)

Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2)

Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28)

John Curtis (R-UT-3)

Sharice Davids (D-KS-3)

Warren Davidson (R-OH-8)

Rodney Davis (R-IL-13)

Danny Davis (D-IL-7)

Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4)

Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4)

Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12)

Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3)

Neal Dunn (R-FL-2)

Tom Emmer (R-MN-6)

Dwight Evans (D-PA-3)

Drew Ferguson (R-GA-3)

Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1)

Bill Flores (R-TX-17)

Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE-1)

Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5)

Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8)

Mike Garcia (R-CA-25)

Greg Gianforte (R-MT-AL)

Bob Gibbs (R-OH-7)

Jared Golden (D-ME-2)

Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16)

Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-15)

Jennifer Gonzalez Colon (R-PR-DL)

Lance Gooden (R-TX-5)

Paul Gosar (R-AZ-4)

Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5)

Kay Granger (R-TX-12)

Sam Graves (R-MO-6)

Tom Graves (R-GA-14)

Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6)

Michael Guest (R-MS-3)

Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2)

Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-1)

Deb Haaland (D-NM-1)

Josh Harder (D-CA-10)

Andy Harris (R-MD-1)

Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4)

Alcee Hastings (D-FL-20)

Kevin Hern (R-OK-1)

Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-3)

Jody Hice (R-GA-10)

French Hill (R-AR-2)

George Holding (R-NC-2)

Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN-9)

Kendra Horn (D-OK-5)

Steven Horsford (D-NV-4)

Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6)

Richard Hudson (R-NC-8)

Bill Huizenga (R-MI-2)

Chris Jacobs (R-NY-27)

Bill Johnson (R-OH-6)

Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL)

Mike Johnson (R-LA-4)

Jim Jordan (R-OH-4)

David Joyce (R-OH-14)

John Joyce (R-PA-13)

Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9)

John Katko (R-NY-24)

Bill Keating (D-MA-9)

Fred Keller (R-PA-12)

Mike Kelly (R-PA-16)

Trent Kelly (R-MS-1)

Derek Kilmer (D-WA-6)

Andy Kim (D-NJ-3) Ron Kind (D-WI-3)

Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16)

Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-2)

Annie Kuster (D-NH-2)

Darin LaHood (R-IL-18)

Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1)

Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5)

Bob Latta (R-OH-5)

Al Lawson (D-FL-5)

Susie Lee (D-NV-3)

Dave Loebsack (D-IA-2)

Billy Long (R-MO-7)

Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11)

Frank Lucas (R-OK-3)

Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3)

Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM-3)

Elaine Luria (D-VA-2)

Stephen Lynch (D-MA-8)

Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-7)

Kenny Marchant (R-TX-24)

Roger Marshall (R-KS-1)

Thomas Massie (R-KY-4)

Ben McAdams (D-UT-4)

Michael McCaul (R-TX-10)

Betty McCollum (D-MN-4)

Donald McEachin (D-VA-4)

Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10)

David McKinley (R-WV-1)

Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5)

Daniel Meuse

LINK:	http://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoom/pressRelease.asp?id=5761...
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