WASHINGTON, DC -- As civil rights leaders and minority-owned radio stations continue to press the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing to examine a performance tax's impact on media diversity, nine additional lawmakers have thrown their support behind a bipartisan resolution opposing "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local radio stations. The mounting opposition comes as country music star Carrie Underwood took out a full-page advertisement thanking radio stations for helping propel her career.
"Thank you country radio for 10 #1 singles in a row. In my wildest dreams I never thought this would happen," reads a full-page ad published in the May 11 issue of Country Aircheck, a country music trade publication. "I have you to thank."
To date, 192 lawmakers have expressed opposition to an effort engineered by the Recording Industry Association of America that would levy a new fee on America's local radio stations for music aired free to listeners. Fifty percent of the new fee would go directly to the record label companies, three out of four of which reside outside the United States.
House Judiciary Committee Member Elton Gallegly (CA-24) and Reps. Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18), Timothy Walz (MN-1), Tom Perriello (VA-5), Brad Miller (NC-13), Russ Carnahan (MO-3), Ken Calvert (CA-44), and Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL) have all added their support to H. Con. Res. 49, the Local Radio Freedom Act.
The Local Radio Freedom Act (H. Con. Res. 49), unveiled at a February Capitol Hill event hosted by the Free Radio Alliance, was introduced by Reps. Gene Green (TX-29) and Mike Conaway (TX-11). In March, an identical resolution was introduced in the Senate (S. Con. Res. 14) by Sens. Blanche Lincoln (AR) and John Barrasso (WY).
"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.
The
bipartisan House resolution now has 192 cosponsors, including:
|
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) Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6) 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) Dan Boren (OK-2) 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) John Campbell (CA-48) Shelly Moore Capito (WV-2) Ken Calvert (CA-44) Mike Capuano (MA-8) Russ Carnahan (MO-3) 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) John Duncan (TN-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) |
Randy
Neugebauer (TX-19) Devin Nunes (CA-21) James Oberstar (MN-8) Pete Olson (TX-22) Solomon Ortiz (TX-27) 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) 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) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18) 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) "Mac" Thornberry (TX-13) Todd Tiahrt (KS-4) Pat Tiberi (OH-12) 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) Don Young (AK-At Large) |
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