The latest from the NAB is that seven more lawmakers have added their names to the Local Radio Freedom Act which opposes new performance royalty fees that may be imposed on radio. Of the seven, five are Members of the House, and two are Senators. The Act now has 166 cosponsors in the House and 21 in the Senate.
The seven new sponsors are House members Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2), Chris Smith (R-NJ-4), and Albio Sires (D-NJ-8), and Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and James Inhofe (R-OK).
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).
The wording of the Act is as follows:
“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.”
