Save YOUR Internet Streams!

Here's the synopsis of why we need your help keeping our internet streams running:

In 1976, Congress enacted laws which made all broadcasters pay royalties for music, but Congress recognized the beneficial nature of non-commercial educational broadcasting. So Congress said that royalties should be determined a particular way for public radio stations, and a different way for commercial, profit-making radio stations. Congress recognized that public radio is inherently different than commercial broadcasting, so public radio's royalty rates were formulated in a manner that did not involve sales, profit, reach, net, gross, and other inherently commercial aspects of the commercial radio business.

In 1998, internet radio was added into copyright law, but the subcommittee writing the new law, without any consultation with public radio representatives, disregarded the public policy benefits of public broadcasting that Congress recognized for the past twenty-two years, and placed public internet radio under the profit-making commercial section of the law instead of the non-commercial section. So, the beneficial nature of non-commercial educational internet broadcasting was, and remains, ignored.

This has shackled every public radio signal on the internet with drastically higher royalty rates, drastically increased reporting and record-keeping requirements, and forced public broadcasting organizations to participate in expensive copyright tribunals, testifying before royalty boards, and now even being forced to go to court to seek temporary protection against having to use those commercial aspects of royalty calculation! Only Congress can correct this oversight!

The "Internet Radio Equality Act" will do this IF it can get enough votes.

What you can do:

You have to tell your two Senators and your one Congressman that you value listening to public radio on the internet. And we're talking about every public radio station, even the ones who haven't yet started internet radio streaming. This will affect their future.

In your own words, ask them to sign-up now and co-sponsor the "Internet Radio Equality Act". If you wish to reference the bill number, for the Senators it is S- 1353, for the Congressmen it is HR-2060.

If you want the shortest message that cuts to the quick, just say something like "I want to continue to be able to listen to public radio stations on the internet; please co- sponsor and vote for the Internet Radio Equality Act." Include your ZIP code so they know you're one of their constituents. That will do it.

If you want to go into a little more detail to make more of an impact and get them thinking, here are some talking points:

1. The Equality Act nullifies a March copyright decision that threatens the viability of public radio music webcasting. Unless addressed by Congress, the March decision will dramatically curtail public radio's use of the web to bring you the present musical programming diversity that you enjoy.

2. The March decision ignores non-commercial broadcasting's public service mission and obligations to bring diversity and alternative sources of cultural programming to you and all Americans. It also greatly burdens public radio with inappropriate and unachievable commercial financial requirements.

3. Of greatest importance, the Equality Act recognizes the public policy benefits of public radio on the internet, by moving public radio internet to the same section of copyright law as broadcast public radio (where it should have been to start with).

Note: The Equity Act does NOT decrease the royalties public radio pays. Public radio royalties are increased in a pre-determined manner, allowing public broadcasting to budget for the future. This is the way public radio royalties have been administered since 1976.

If you have to pick a general topic before you can submit your e-mail, go for "public broadcasting", "internet", "telecommunications", "commerce", or "judiciary" in that order.

If you'd like more background information about this issue, please see my previous letter of May 11.

Sincerely,

Deborah S. Proctor
General Manager

Senators: North Carolina Residents, your two Senators are: Senator Elizabeth Dole 310 New Bern Avenue #122 Raleigh, NC 27601 Voice: (866) 420-6083 (toll free) Fax: (919) 856-4053 E-Mail Senator Richard Burr 2000 West First Street #508 Winston-Salem, NC 27104 Voice: (800) 685-8916 (toll free) Fax: (336) 725-4493 E-Mail Virginia Residents, your two Senators are: Senator John Warner PO Box 887 Abington, VA 24210 Voice: (202) 224-2023 Fax: (202) 224 6295 E-Mail Senator Jim Webb 507 East Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23219 Voice: (804) 771-2221 Fax: (804) 771-1813 E-Mail Other State's Residents: Go to www.senate.gov and at right hand side, enter your state. The contact information and links for your two senators will show next. Remember, post office mail to Washington is still delayed by two to three weeks, so if you're going to send a letter, it is far better to write to one of your senator's local offices rather than to the Washington office. But it is fine to telephone or fax or e-mail any office. Is your Senator a Co-Sponsor of S-1353 yet? IF NOT, definitely contact them and tell them how important being able to listen to public radio on the internet is to you. Be sure you specifically ask them to support "S-1353" and to sign up as a co-sponsor to demonstrate that support; tell them you want to see their name on the list. You are in their district so your personal contact means a great deal to them. Lastly, Tell a friend about this page. Congressmen: Find out who your Congressman/woman is if you're not sure. Enter your home ZIP code in the very left hand topmost box under the title "Find your Representative". Then, find out if your Representative has signed up as a Co- Sponsor of HR 2060. If yes, send them an e-mail or a telephone call or a fax and urge them on! IF NOT, definitely contact them and tell them how important being able to listen to public radio on the internet is to you. Be sure you specifically ask them to support "HR-2060" and to sign up as a co-sponsor to demonstrate that support; tell them you want to see their name on the list. You are in their district so your personal contact means a great deal to them. Lastly, Tell a friend about this page.

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