Former New York Congressman Joe Crowley believes radio should pay artists when they air their music. For years the NAB has battled back on that idea. Crowley is the new Chairman of the musicFIRST coalition, an organization that has been hounding radio to pay up. In our interview with Crowley, he goes after radio’s biggest companies the hardest. LISTENHere or below
Radio would disappear without the artists, yet the artists would not disappear without radio. That’s the entire issue. The artists and labels know that radio is at a “kneel down or face extinction” point. Most artists complain about having to be interviewed by boring and predictable DJ’s, who ask the same question and just fake laugh through boring, recorded interviews. Also, radio events are so stale, artists don’t even go anymore, unless it’s tied to a digital platform (I Heart). The labels are even cutting back on “promotion” to the ol’ fat PD, who thinks he knows everything, but really just wants free baseball tickets and a pizza, or some Amazon gift cards. It’s a true joke, but radio has done it to itself.
I think artist should pay us the broadcasters for playing their damn music like it used to be. We don’t have to air anything of theirs if we don’t like it. We use our time, electricity and equipment and untimely have the ability to toss their record in the trash if so desired. And I would also go as far as to say outlets on the internet could refuse to sell their CDs records and MP3s. I think sometimes these artist need to humble themselves just a tad.
The audience doesn’t care about the radio station, they won’t to hear the stars. Go ahead and start throwing the music in the trash and see what happens…. such a small town mentality. People like this, who are bitter and fearful of getting fired are the reason why the business in such terrible shape, they just don’t understand the eco-system of entertainment content.
“Toss the record in the trash”…. how embarrassing.
Trying to drive the last “free” music source for the consumer. Radio is free. They hate that. Free gotta go.
Fair is fair. Drop the “payola” rules and let stations charge for airplay. Simple. See how far that gets the artists.
Broadcasting is different. We operate with “public” licenses, and are obligated to a whole slew of expensive regulations designed to insure we act in the public interest, convenience, and necessity. That’s why we were carved out in the first place.
Oh, one other question. If we are so “unimportant” to the artist as a promotions vehicle, why do I literally get hundreds of emails, and calls per week cajoling me into playing their songs? And, is the money really going to the artists, or is it going to their labels, who have treated those very artists dishonestly from the get go, and continue to do so.
Finally, I’m just barely holding on in my small market, trying to do my best to satisfy my audience and act on the communities behalf. Ain’t nobody in market 157 making “billions”. Another “tax” on my business could just put me and thousands of other station out of business. Maybe, just maybe, that’s really what the want.
“Hundreds of emails” LOL. Market 157. No way. Radio people have gone insane.
Former Democrat New York Congressman Joe Crowley spent 10 unimpressive years in office. Now, after losing his sinecure to AOC, he turns up as a registered lobbyist in DC and his first client is…(drum-roll) musicFirst. Yet the consolidation in radio that led to the Frankenstein like “mega-corporations” he references was done by legislative action in 1996. These legislation that created the 6 radio behemoths that are now generally accepted as a real detriment to artists and listeners was signed Pres. Clinton and voted aye in the house by notable NY Democrat Congressmen Schumer, Rangel, and Senator D’Amato. And what did Joe do about radio consolidation while in Congress for a decade? Nothing. Lastly, he cites streaming companies’ pricing models as the way to pay artists- apparently he is wildly underinformed re: artist’s viewpoints on that compensation model. Lobbyist are what created the monster of Telecommunications Act of 1996..let us not allow another Johnny-come-lately lobbyist representing a client to “fix” it.
FYI, Sen D’Amato was a Republican. In fact a lot of Republicans voted for the TCA, including Bob Dole. Mitch McConnell voted yes. All but two Republicans voted for the TCA of 1996. John McCain voted no. Independent Bernie Sanders voted no. This was a bi-partisan bill, that passed with 96% of the House and 82% of the Senate.
Why should stations/groups pay to play music? The labels songwriters and artists have it backwards… Radio is for promotion, Radio survives on advertising dollars and not music per spin. Labels, Publishers and Artists should be actually paying Radio, New Media and others for exposure to sell their latest “Fart in the sand”. Not the other way around. Public performances of recordings in bars, retail, and other venues should be more scrutinized while Radio should be looked on as a partner, and paid to air the product.
The same Joe Crowley whose arrogance and ineptitude caused him to lose the Democrat primary to…Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez!
An all-around loser, who will be paid to misrepresent the nonexistent plight and grievances of greedy artists. Free radio airplay is already a huge ‘payment’ to these artists, and certainly for those hitmakers who are new to the scene. Would these artists like it if the radio broadcasters turned the tables and demanded exorbitant payments from them in order to play their tunes? We all know the answer to that one…and, no, I’m not talking about ‘under the table’, ‘off the books’ payola. Everything on the books, for all to see.
Ask Mr. Crowley why his organization refused to accept the NAB’s offer for a voluntary royalty when it was made over ten years ago. It was a fair offer, and didn’t require an act of Congress, as his does. In fact, as a result of that offer, iHeart currently has voluntary deals in place with several US labels to pay artists. Keep in mind the deal Crowley wants doesn’t just pay artists. It would also pay foreign record labels. That’s really what this is about. BTW radio stations in fact DO pay artists when they stream their music. So artists are getting paid. They just want to get paid much more.