WASHINGTON, DC -- Fifteen additional lawmakers have signed on to a bipartisan U.S. House of Representatives resolution opposing the introduction of "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local radio stations. The growing chorus of Congressional support for The Local Radio Freedom Act, which opposes an effort led by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), now stands at 173.
NAB today also unveiled a new radio advertisement opposing the performance tax effort. The 60-second spot, dubbed "Don't Feed the Fat Cat," was purchased by NAB and will begin airing today on Washington, D.C. radio stations WMAL-AM and WTOP-FM. The advertisement will also be available for radio stations to download through NAB's recently launched grassroots advocacy Web site, NoPerformanceTax.org.
To download and listen to the 60-second spot in WMA format, click here. A transcript of the ad can be read here.
"NAB is delighted by the growing, bipartisan opposition to the performance tax," said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton. "Members of Congress aren't buying the ludicrous RIAA implication that record label business woes are somehow being caused by radio stations playing music. Bolstered by this new ad, we are cautiously optimistic Congress won't impose a new fee that would decimate radio stations facing the worst advertising recession since the Great Depression."
The Local Radio Freedom Act (H. Con. Res. 49), unveiled in February at a Capitol Hill event hosted by the Free Radio Alliance, was introduced by Reps. Gene Green (TX-29) and Mike Conaway (TX-11). The resolution counters legislation supported by the RIAA, which would levy a new fee on local radio stations for music aired free to listeners. An identical resolution was introduced earlier last month in the Senate (S. Con. Res. 14).
"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.
Reps. Rob Andrews (NJ-1), Ben Chandler (KY-6), Mary Fallin (OK-5), Chaka Fattah (PA-2), Dean Heller (NV-2), Doug Lamborn (CO-5), John Linder (GA-7), Kenny Marchant (TX-24), Erik Paulson (MN-3), Mike Pence (IN-6), Mike Rogers (MI-8), Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2), Zack Space (OH-18), Cliff Stearns (FL-6), and Peter Visclosky (IN-1) have all added their support to the Local Radio Freedom Act, bringing the total bipartisan support to 173 House lawmakers. To date, the following House lawmakers have co-sponsored the resolution:
| Robert
Aderholt (AL-4) 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) Gresham Barrett (SC-3) John Barrow (GA-12) Melissa Bean (IL-8) Marion Berry (AR-1) Judy Biggert (IL-13) Sanford Bishop (GA-2) Roy Blunt (MO-7) Jo Bonner (AL-1) John Boozman (AR-3) Leonard Boswell (IA-3) Charles Boustany (LA-7) Allen Boyd (FL-2) Kevin Brady (TX-8) 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) Michael Burgess (TX-26) Dan Burton (IN-5) Steve Buyer (IN-4) Shelly Moore Capito (WV-2) Mike Capuano (MA-8) Andre Carson (IN-7) John Carter (TX-31) Ben Chandler (KY-6) William Lacy Clay (MO-1) 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) 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) Chet Edwards (TX-17) Vernon Ehlers (MI-3) Brad Ellsworth (IN-8) Jo Ann Emerson (MO-8) |
Mary
Fallin (OK-5) Chaka Fattah (PA-2) John Fleming (LA-4) Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1) Virginia Foxx (NC-5) 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) Doc Hastings (WA-4) Dean Heller (NV-2) Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL) Baron Hill (IN-9) Pete Hoekstra (MI-2) Tim Holden (PA-17) Duncan Hunter (CA-52) Lynn Jenkins (KS-2) Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30) Timothy Johnson (IL-15) Walter Jones (NC-3) Jim Jordan (OH-4) Steve Kagen (WI-8) Jack Kingston (GA-1) John Kline (MN-2) Doug Lamborn (CO-5) Rick Larsen (WA-2) Steve LaTourette (OH-14) Robert Latta (OH-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) Cynthia Lummis (WY-AL) Don Manzullo (IL-16) Kenny Marchant (TX-24) Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4) Michael McCaul (TX-10) Tom McClintock (CA-4) Patrick McHenry (NC-10) John McHugh (NY-23) Mike McIntyre (NC-7) Cathy McMorris Rogers (WA-5) Michael Michaud (ME-2) Candice Miller (MI-10) Gary Miller (CA-42) Jeff Miller (FL-1) Walt Minnick (ID-1) Harry Mitchell (AZ-5) Jerry Moran (KS-1) |
Sue
Myrick (NC-9) Randy Neugebauer (TX-19) Devin Nunes (CA-21) James Oberstar (MN-8) Solomon Ortiz (TX-27) Frank Pallone (NJ-6) Erik Paulson (MN-3) Bill Pascrell (NJ-8) Mike Pence (IN-6) Tom Petri (WI-6) Pedro Pierluisi (PR-At Large) Joe Pitts (PA-16) Todd Platts (PA-19) Ted Poe (TX-2) Bill Posey (FL-15) Tom Price (GA-6) Nick Rahall (WV-3) Charles Rangel (NY-15) Dennis Rehberg (MT-AL) Silvestre Reyes (TX-16) Harold Rogers (KY-5) Mike Rogers (AL-3) Mike Rogers (MI-8) Peter Roskam (IL-6) Mike Ross (AR-4) Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2) Paul Ryan (WI-1) Tim Ryan (OH-17) Aaron Schock (IL-18) David Scott (GA-13) Pete Sessions (TX-32) John Shimkus (IL-19) Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) Heath Shuler (NC-11) Bill Shuster (PA-9) Mike Simpson (ID-2) Adrian Smith (NE-3) Zack Space (OH-18) Mark Souder (IN-3) John Spratt (SC-5) Cliff Stearns (FL-6) Bart Stupak (MI-1) John Sullivan (OK-1) Lee Terry (NE-2) Mike Thompson (CA-1) Glenn Thompson (PA-5) Todd Tiahrt (KS-4) Pat Tiberi (OH-12) Mike Turner (OH-3) Fred Upton (MI-6) Peter Visclosky (IN-1) Greg Walden (OR-2) Lynn Westmoreland (GA-3) Ed Whitfield (KY-1) Charlie Wilson (OH-6) Joe Wilson (SC-2) Rob Wittman (VA-1) Don Young (AK-At Large) |
About
NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association
for America's broadcasters. As the voice of more than 8,300 radio and
television stations, NAB advances their 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.