Consider the Economic Best Interest and Save Black Radio

There is debate in cyberspace among African Americans regarding

H.R. 848: The Performance Rights Act. The act which amends federal copyright law to grant performers of sound recordings equal rights to compensation from terrestrial broadcasters.

This act has been viewed as a tax that will be too costly for Black Radio owners. Criticisms and concerns on the issue has come from several places. All one has to do is Google HR 848 and 2,810,000 entries will appear and that's not including this article.

I was stunned when I came across this article Should We Save Black Radio? After reading the material, I bowed and shook my head left and right in disgust over the sentiments. However, I understand the point of view but my mother taught "two wrongs don't make a right." The idea that Black Radio should be allowed to die without a fight because black radio conducted business to make a profit is not the solution.

Black Radio owners as a result of the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act were forced into operating as the majority media owners. There is an old adage, "When in Rome do as the Romans do. Black media owners had to operate like the majority owners. It is unfortunate that the present Black media owners are in a game that they can't win. Ad revenues are down and radio in general is going through an economic downturn.

A major advertiser on radio is the automobile industry and the automobile industry is nearly bankrupt. In order for Black radio to stay alive they are cutting costs and syndicating programming. I am not one for syndication but a little of something is better than a whole lot of nothing. And the urban stations owned by majority owners are providing far less information than the micro amount heard on black owned stations. Where did you find out about HR 848?

Diversity of media owners is important to a democracy, through diverse owners more viewpoints can be heard. With diversity listeners do not have to suffer through copy cat programming. Radio can truly be competitive. Unfortunately, Black radio had to copy the majority radio techniques to stay alive. And in some cases it was a Black radio executive that created cost efficient programming ideas for the majority owners that eventually cut their own throats.

Yes, I want to defeat HR 848 to preserve opportunities for other minorities and females at media ownership. Media ownership is the real issue not the performance right act. The greater conspiracy is to silence Black Radio through making it difficult to financially sustain the broadcast property. This will escalate the demise of the Black Radio. And guess what the next steps will be?

Majority owners will merge then lobby for an increase in "local ownership caps" from 8 to 12. Another wave of consolidation will hit forcing out Black owners and their station will be gobbled up. Leaving the Black community voiceless. And the camouflage of the attack is a mere $5,000 dollars price tag. Reality is none wants to pay a higher tax period. There is a bigger picture beyond the text written in the bill.

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 such public performance of sound recordings. Artists benefits immensely from the free exposure that radio provides.

The record industry has ripped off artists since the industry has been around. And the record industry will continue ripping off artists. Why is it that many artists are ripped off by the record companies? And why should the radio owners have to pay for the artists contractual mistakes?

If this act becomes law, it will be extremely harder for Black Radio owners to run their stations efficiently with the performance rights tax. Now I feel for the artists however what I do not understand is why artists would trust the same folks that ripped them off the first time? Today the major record companies are owned by International Corporations.

H.R. 848 is only a precursor to the silencing of Black Radio. Do not forget that radio is the most personal of all mediums. Why does the majority want to control all of it? Why is it that some African Americans feel the radio would be better if the majority owned and controlled all the terrestrial radio stations?

Yes Fight Against HR 848, it is not in the best economic interest of the Black community.

For more information about HR 848 and how it would impact small and local stations click on the link below.

Area Radio Stations React to Performance Fees
Area Radio Stations React to Performance Fees Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:59:00 EST
http://www.associatedcontent.comvideo/173326/area_radio_stations_react_to_performance.html