NAB Statement on Introduction of Legislation Imposing Performance Royalty on Local Radio Stations

NAB Statement on Introduction of Legislation Imposing Performance Royalty on Local Radio Stations WASHINGTON, D.C. -In response to the introduction of legislation by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10) that would impose a performance royalty on local broadcast radio stations for over-the-air music airplay, the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith:

NAB opposes the AM-FM Act, which could decimate the economics of Americas hometown radio stations that have launched the careers of countless musicians and exposed legacy artists to a new generation of listeners. Were pleased that a bipartisan group of 201 House members and 25 U.S. Senators recognize this potential harm and have cosponsored the Local Radio Freedom Act, a resolution opposing any new performance fee on local radio. NAB's door remains open to work with the record labels to find a holistic solution to this issue that reflects the enduring value to artists and labels of local radio to our hundreds of millions of terrestrial and digital listeners. Unfortunately, the record labels have shown little interest in having those discussions. The Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA), which signals Members of Congresss opposition to any potential legislation that imposes new performance royalties on broadcast radio stations for music airplay, was introduced in Congress in February. Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) and Michael Conaway (R-TX-11) are the principal cosponsors of the LRFA 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 201 House cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act include (new cosponsor 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)

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)

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)

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)

Warren Davidson (R-OH-8)

Rodney Davis (R-IL-13)

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)

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)

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)

Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN-9)

Kendra Horn (D-OK-5)

Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6)

Richard Hudson (R-NC-8)

Bill Huizenga (R-MI-2)

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)

Stephen Lynch (D-MA-8)

Kenny Marchant (R-TX-24)

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)

Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5)

Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9)

Carol Miller (R-WV-3)

Paul Mitchell (R-MI-10)

Alex Mooney (R-WV-2)

Seth Moulton (D-MA-6)

Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-2)

Greg Murphy (R-NC-3)

Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4)

Ralph Norman (R-SC-5)

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)

Chris Pappas (D-NH-1)

Donald Payne (D-NJ-10)

Greg Pence (R-IN-6)

Scott Perry (R-PA-10)

Stacey Plaskett (D-VI-DL)

Bill Posey (R-FL-8)

Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS-DL)

Tom Reed (R-NY-23)

Denver Riggleman (R-VA-5)

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5)

Hal Rogers (R-KY-5)

Mike Rogers (R-AL-3)

David Rouzer (R-NC-7)

Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2)

Bobby Rush (D-IL-1)

Tim Ryan (D-OH-13)

Gregorio Sablan (

LINK:	http://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoom/pressRelease.asp?id=5223...
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