Bipartisan Coalition Introduces Local Radio Freedom Act in House, Senate

Bipartisan Coalition Introduces Local Radio Freedom Act in House, Senate NAB strongly supports resolution opposing performance royalty on broadcasters 119 Representatives, five Senators introduce resolution backing hometown radio stations WASHINGTON, DC -- A bipartisan coalition of 124 Members of Congress have joined together to introduce resolutions in the House of Representatives and the Senate opposing any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge on local broadcast radio stations. The Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA) signals Members of Congresss opposition to any potential legislation that would impose new performance royalties on broadcast radio stations for music airplay.

America's hometown broadcasters are deeply grateful for this broad, bipartisan display of Congressional support for the Local Radio Freedom Act, said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. Decade after decade, free radio airplay has propelled the careers of countless performing artists and generated hundreds of millions in revenue for the record labels. We thank lawmakers for standing in opposition to a job-killing performance royalty that threatens to destroy the economics of local radio.

Reps. Michael Conaway (R-TX-11) and Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) are the principal cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act in the House of Representatives. 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.

In the 115th Congress, a similar resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate in January 2017. The House resolution was introduced with 115 cosponsors, and eventually gathered 227 signatures. The Senate resolution garnered 28 signatures.

The 119 House co-sponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act include:

Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19)

Brian Babin (R-TX-36)

Jim Banks (R-IN-3)

Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3)

Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12)

Mike Bost (R-IL-12)

Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2)

Mo Brooks (R-AL-5)

Susan Brooks (R-IN-5)

Anthony Brown (D-MD-4)

Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16)

Ted Budd (R-NC-13)

Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17)

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

Ken Calvert (R-CA-42)

Buddy Carter (R-GA-1)

Kathy Castor (D-FL-14)

Steve Chabot (R-OH-1)

Lacy Clay (D-MO-1)

Tom Cole (R-OK-4)

Chris Collins (R-NY-27)

James Comer (R-KY-1)

Michael Conaway (R-TX-11)

Paul Cook (R-CA-8)

Joe Courtney (D-CT-2)

Rick Crawford (R-AR-1)

Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28)

Warren Davidson (R-OH-8)

Rodney Davis (R-IL-13)

Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4)

Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12)

Sean Duffy (R-WI-7)

Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3)

Neal Dunn (R-FL-2)

Tom Emmer (R-MN-6)

Dwight Evans (D-PA-3)

Bill Flores (R-TX-17)

Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE-1)

Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5)

Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8)

Greg Gianforte (R-MT-AL)

Bob Gibbs (R-OH-7)

Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-15)

Jennifer Gonzalez Colon (R-PR-DL)

Paul Gosar (R-AZ-4)

Tom Graves (R-GA-14)

Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6)

Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-1)

Andy Harris (R-MD-1)

Alcee Hastings (D-FL-20)

Jody Hice (R-GA-10)

French Hill (R-AR-2)

Bill Johnson (R-OH-6)

Jim Jordan (R-OH-4)

Bill Keating (D-MA-9)

Mike Kelly (R-PA-16)

Trent Kelly (R-MS-1)

Derek Kilmer (D-WA-6)

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)

Dave Loebsack (D-IA-2)

Billy Long (R-MO-7)

Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3)

Stephen Lynch (D-MA-8)

Roger Marshall (R-KS-1)

Thomas Massie (R-KY-4)

Betty McCollum (D-MN-4)

Donald McEachin (D-VA-4)

Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10)

David McKinley (R-WV-1)

Mark Meadows (R-NC-11)

Paul Mitchell (R-MI-10)

Alex Mooney (R-WV-2)

Seth Moulton (D-MA-6)

Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-2)

Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4)

Devin Nunes (R-CA-22)

Tom OHalleran (D-AZ-1)

Pete Olson (R-TX-22)

Steven Palazzo (R-MS-4)

Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6)

Donald Payne (D-NJ-10)

Bill Posey (R-FL-8)

Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS-DL)

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5)

Hal Rogers (R-KY-5)

Mike Rogers (R-AL-3)

David Rouzer (R-NC-7)

Bobby Rush (D-IL-1)

Tim Ryan (D-OH-13)

David Scott (D-GA-13)

John Shimkus (R-IL-15)

Mike Simpson (R-ID-2)

Adrian Smith (R-NE-3)

Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21)

Steve Stivers (R-OH-15)

Mike Turner (R-OH-10)

Fred Upton (R-MI-6)

Ann Wagner (R-MO-2)

Tim Walberg (R-MI-7)

Greg Walden (R-OR-2)

Mark Walker (R-NC-6)

Randy Weber (R-TX-14)

Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-2)

Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4)

Roger Williams (R-TX-25)

Joe Wilson (R-SC-2)

Steve Womack (R-AR-3)

John Yarmuth (D-KY-3)

Don Young (R-AK-AL)

Lee Zeldin (R-NY-1)

The Local Radio Freedom Acts five Senate cosponsors are:

John Barrasso (R-WY)

John Boozman (R-AR)

Susan Collins (R-ME)

Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

Tom Udall (D-CO)

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

thank you everyone for making us #1 on alternative radio this week. its insane how much youve reacted to youre somebody else. thank you for getting it.

-- Tweet by Flora Cash, February 12, 2019

Alsooooo omfg 1999 impacts US radio today! If you hear it, tweet me and the radio station so i can say thanks @charli_xcx

-- Tweet by Troye Sivan, December 4, 2018

I was like, You know what? One day I'll hear my song on the radio, and that will be a moment.

-- Mariah Carey, Forever Mariah: An Interview With an Icon, Pitchfork, November 28, 2018

Thats the biggest thrill, to he

LINK:	http://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoom/pressRelease.asp?id=4928...
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