WASHINGTON, DC -- Three additional Senators oppose a record industry-backed effort to levy a performance tax on local radio stations for music aired free to listeners. Currently, a bipartisan group of 19 U.S. Senators and 238 House lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors to the Local Radio Freedom Act, a resolution opposing the imposition of "any new performance fee, tax, royalty or other charge" on radio for music airplay.
Senators Tim Johnson (SD), Joseph Lieberman (CT) and Olympia Snowe (ME) have signed on as cosponsors to S. Con. Res. 14. Also adding support to the Local Radio Freedom Act is Rep. Bill Cassidy (LA-6).
"In addition to serving as the recording industry's number one promotional vehicle, local radio stations provide communities across America with timely news and life-saving emergency information," said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton. "Lawmakers are becoming increasingly skeptical over an RIAA proposal that would jeopardize the viability of free, local radio in order to line the coffers of foreign-owned record labels."
The Local Radio Freedom Act, 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 by 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 Senate resolution's 19 cosponsors are:
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John Barrasso (WY) Max Baucus (MT) Jeff Bingaman (NM) Christopher Bond (MO) Sam Brownback (KS) Richard Burr (NC) | Mike Crapo (ID) Michael Enzi (WY) Judd Gregg (NH) Kay Hagan (NC) Mike Johanns (NE) Tim Johnson (SD) |
Joseph Lieberman (CT) Blanche Lincoln (AR) Benjamin Nelson (NE) Pat Roberts (KS) Olympia Snowe (ME) Jon Tester (MT) Roger Wicker (MS) |
The 238 cosponsors of the House resolution are:
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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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) Don Manzullo (IL-16) Kenny Marchant (TX-24) Betsy Markey (CO-4) Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4) Michael McCaul (TX-10) Tom McClintock (CA-4) Patrick McHenry (NC-10) John McHugh (NY-23) Mike McIntyre (NC-7) Howard McKeon (CA-25) 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) Dennis Moore (KS-3) Jerry Moran (KS-1) |
Sue Myrick (NC-9) 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) 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) Peter Roskam (IL-6) Mike Ross (AR-4) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18) Edward Royce (CA-40) Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2) Paul Ryan (WI-1) Tim Ryan (OH-17) John Sarbanes (MD-3) Jean Schmidt (OH-2) Aaron Schock (IL-18) Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) 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) 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) |
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.
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