WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Broadcasters today issued a statement in response to the newest publicity stunt initiated by supporters of performance tax legislation. The performance tax, supported by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), would levy a new fee on local radio stations for every song aired free to listeners.
"It's no surprise that RIAA is now employing silly frat-boy stunts, given its well-documented practice of suing college kids to rescue a bankrupt business model," said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton. "It also seems appropriate for RIAA to use an inflatable pig as its mascot, since its foreign-owned members would be the biggest beneficiaries of performance tax pork. RIAA is losing this issue on Capitol Hill and in the court of public opinion, and today's demonstration represents a new low in a campaign of utter desperation."
The broadcast association provided sausage pizza for the five protestors demonstrating outside NAB's offices today. "We're suggesting they provide this food to the scores of exploited musicians who have had to sue their record label to recoup allegedly unpaid album royalties," Wharton said.
A bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives stands in opposition to the RIAA-backed legislation, with 256 House members and 27 U.S. Senators all opposed. The legislation has also drawn opposition from the National Black Church Initiative, the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council and a coalition of high school and college radio stations.
"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," reads The Local Radio Freedom Act, which was unveiled at a 2009 Capitol Hill event hosted by the Free Radio Alliance. The resolution was introduced by Reps. Gene Green (TX-29) and Mike Conaway (TX-11) in the House and by Sens. Blanche Lincoln (AR) and John Barrasso (WY) in the Senate.
The 256 House cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act include:
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Robert Aderholt (AL-4) John Adler (NJ-3) Rob Andrews (NJ-1) Todd Akin (MO-2) Rodney Alexander (LA-5) Jason Altmire (PA-4) Mike Arcuri (NY-24) Steve Austria (OH-7) Michele Bachmann (MN-6) Spencer Bachus (AL-6) Brian Baird (WA-3) Gresham Barrett (SC-3) John Barrow (GA-12) Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6) Melissa Bean (IL-8) Shelley Berkley (NV-1) Marion Berry (AR-1) Judy Biggert (IL-13) Brian Bilbray (CA-50) Gus Bilirakis(FL-9) Sanford Bishop (GA-2) Roy Blunt (MO-7) John Boccieri (OH-16) Jo Bonner (AL-1) John Boozman (AR-3) Dan Boren (OK-2) Leonard Boswell (IA-3) Charles Boustany (LA-7) Allen Boyd (FL-2) Kevin Brady (TX-8) Robert Brady (PA-1) Bruce Braley (IA-1) Bobby Bright (AL-2) Paul Broun (GA-10) Corrine Brown (FL-3) Henry Brown (SC-1) Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-5) Vern Buchanan (FL-13) Michael Burgess (TX-26) Dan Burton (IN-5) Steve Buyer (IN-4) John Campbell (CA-48) Shelly Moore Capito (WV-2) Ken Calvert (CA-44) Anh "Joseph" Cao (LA-2) Mike Capuano (MA-8) Dennis Cardoza (CA-18) Russ Carnahan (MO-3) Christopher Carney (PA-10) Andre Carson (IN-7) John Carter (TX-31) Bill Cassidy (LA-6) Michael Castle (DE-AL) Ben Chandler (KY-6) Travis Childers (MS-1) William Lacy Clay (MO-1) Mike Coffman (CO-6) Tom Cole (OK-4) Mike Conaway (TX-11) Jerry Costello (IL-12) Joseph Courtney (CT-2) Ander Crenshaw (FL-4) Henry Cuellar (TX-28) John Culberson (TX-7) Elijah Cummings (MD-7) Artur Davis (AL-7) Danny Davis (IL-7) Geoff Davis (KY-4) Lincoln Davis (TN-4) Charles Dent (PA-15) Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21) Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) Norm Dicks (WA-6) Joe Donnelly (IN-2) Steve Driehaus (OH-1) John Duncan (TN-2) Chet Edwards (TX-17) Vernon Ehlers (MI-3) Brad Ellsworth (IN-8) Jo Ann Emerson (MO-8) Bob Etheridge (NC-2) Mary Fallin (OK-5) Chaka Fattah (PA-2) John Fleming (LA-4) Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1) |
Bill Foster (IL-14) Virginia Foxx (NC-5) Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) Scott Garrett (NJ-5) Elton Gallegly (CA-24) Jim Gerlach (PA-6) Phil Gingrey (GA-11) Kay Granger (TX-12) Sam Graves (MO-6) Al Green (TX-9) Gene Green (TX-29) Parker Griffith (AL-5) Brett Guthrie (KY-2) Ralph Hall (TX-4) Deborah Halvorson (IL-11) Phil Hare (IL-17) Gregg Harper (MS-3) Alcee Hastings (FL-23) Doc Hastings (WA-4) Dean Heller (NV-2) Wally Herger (CA-2) Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL) Baron Hill (IN-9) Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) Pete Hoekstra (MI-2) Tim Holden (PA-17) Duncan Hunter (CA-52) Bob Inglis (SC-4) Lynn Jenkins (KS-2) Timothy Johnson (IL-15) Walter Jones (NC-3) Jim Jordan (OH-4) Steve Kagen (WI-8) Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) Dale Kildee (MI-5) Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) Ron Kind (WI-3) Jack Kingston (GA-1) Mark Kirk (IL-10) Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-1) Larry Kissell (NC-8) John Kline (MN-2) Frank Kratovil (MD-1) Doug Lamborn (CO-5) Leonard Lance (NJ-7) Rick Larsen (WA-2) Tom Latham (IA-4) Steve LaTourette (OH-14) Robert Latta (OH-5) Jerry Lewis (CA-41) John Lewis (GA-5) John Linder (GA-7) Chris Lee (NY-26) Frank Lucas (OK-3) Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2) Dave Loebsack (IA-2) Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) Ben Ray Lujan (NM-3) Cynthia Lummis (WY-AL) Daniel Lungren (CA-3) Don Manzullo (IL-16) Kenny Marchant (TX-24) Betsy Markey (CO-4) Jim Matheson (UT-2) Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4) Michael McCaul (TX-10) Tom McClintock (CA-4) Patrick McHenry (NC-10) Mike McIntyre (NC-7) Howard McKeon (CA-25) Mike McMahon (NY-13) Cathy McMorris Rogers (WA-5) Kendrick Meek (FL-17) Charlie Melancon (LA-3) Michael Michaud (ME-2) Brad Miller (NC-13) Candice Miller (MI-10) Gary Miller (CA-42) Jeff Miller (FL-1) Walt Minnick (ID-1) Harry Mitchell (AZ-5) Alan Mollohan (WV-1) Dennis Moore (KS-3) Jerry Moran (KS-1) Sue Myrick (NC-9) |
Randy Neugebauer (TX-19) Devin Nunes (CA-21) Glenn Nye (VA-2) James Oberstar (MN-8) Pete Olson (TX-22) Solomon Ortiz (TX-27) Bill Owens (NY-23) Frank Pallone (NJ-6) Erik Paulson (MN-3) Bill Pascrell (NJ-8) Ron Paul (TX-14) Mike Pence (IN-6) Tom Perriello (VA-5) Tom Petri (WI-6) Pedro Pierluisi (PR-At Large) Joe Pitts (PA-16) Todd Platts (PA-19) Ted Poe (TX-2) Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL) Bill Posey (FL-15) David Price (NC-4) Tom Price (GA-6) Adam Putnam (FL-12) George Radanovich (CA-19) Nick Rahall (WV-3) Charles Rangel (NY-15) Dennis Rehberg (MT-AL) Dave Reichert (WA-8) Silvestre Reyes (TX-16) Phil Roe (TN-1) Harold Rogers (KY-5) Mike Rogers (AL-3) Mike Rogers (MI-8) Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46) Peter Roskam (IL-6) Mike Ross (AR-4) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18) Edward Royce (CA-40) Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2) Bobby Rush (IL-1) Paul Ryan (WI-1) Tim Ryan (OH-17) John Sarbanes (MD-3) Steve Scalise (LA-1) Mark Schauer (MI-7) Jean Schmidt (OH-2) Aaron Schock (IL-18) Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) David Scott (GA-13) Pete Sessions (TX-32) Joe Sestak (PA-7) John Shimkus (IL-19) Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) Heath Shuler (NC-11) Bill Shuster (PA-9) Mike Simpson (ID-2) Albio Sires (NJ-13) Ike Skelton (MO-4) Adrian Smith (NE-3) Christopher Smith (NJ-4) Zack Space (OH-18) Mark Souder (IN-3) John Spratt (SC-5) Cliff Stearns (FL-6) Bart Stupak (MI-1) John Sullivan (OK-1) Harry Teague (NM-2) Lee Terry (NE-2) Mike Thompson (CA-1) Glenn Thompson (PA-5) "Mac" Thornberry (TX-13) Todd Tiahrt (KS-4) Pat Tiberi (OH-12) Dina Titus (NV-3) Mike Turner (OH-3) Fred Upton (MI-6) Peter Visclosky (IN-1) Greg Walden (OR-2) Timothy Walz (MN-1) Lynn Westmoreland (GA-3) Ed Whitfield (KY-1) Charlie Wilson (OH-6) Joe Wilson (SC-2) Rob Wittman (VA-1) Frank Wolf (VA-10) Don Young (AK-At Large) |
The Local Radio Freedom Act's 27 Senate cosponsors are:
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John Barrasso (WY) Max Baucus (MT) Jeff Bingaman (NM) Christopher Bond (MO) Sam Brownback (KS) Richard Burr (NC) Thad Cochran (MS) Susan Collins (ME) Mike Crapo (ID) |
Michael Enzi (WY) Judd Gregg (NH) Kay Hagan (NC) James Inhofe (OK) Johnny Isakson (GA) Mike Johanns (NE) Tim Johnson (SD) Mary Landrieu (LA) Joseph Lieberman (CT) |
Blanche Lincoln (AR) Benjamin Nelson (NE) Jim Risch (ID) Pat Roberts (KS) Olympia Snowe (ME) Jon Tester (MT) John Thune (SD) David Vitter (LA) Roger Wicker (MS) |
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.