NAB Trying To Cut Off Pandora's Air Supply
from the can't-stand-the-heat,-huh? dept
We've already covered how Pandora will most likely need to shut down, if the royalty rates set for web streaming aren't changed. While there were agreements earlier this week on some forms of online streaming royalties, it was not the ones that are the problem for Pandora. Pandora has been negotiating a more reasonable rate that would let the company survive, and it has been making progress. However, it needs a bit more time. Amazingly, Pandora, the RIAA and SoundExchange all agree that they're making progress, and with a bit more time they can probably iron this out. To that end, Rep. Jay Inslee introduced a minor bit of legislation to give them more time to work things out.So what happens? The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has started actively lobbying against the bill. Basically, the NAB recognizes that Pandora is a direct competitor to the terrestrial radio stations who make up its members. But, rather than compete, it's hoping that the RIAA's fight with Pandora will cause Pandora to go out of business. This is, of course, quite typical of the NAB's lobbying efforts. Remember how strongly it fought against allowing XM and Sirius to merge. It was the same situation, where it was hoping to use legal efforts to kill off competitors, rather than competing in the market. Pandora is asking people to contact their congressional Reps. to make sure that the NAB isn't allowed to cut off Pandora's air supply, just as it gets close to (finally) working out an agreement to stay alive.
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Filed Under: congress, nab, royalties, streaming radio
Companies: nab, pandora, riaa, sound exchange
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This will be it for me
If they're going to be this big of bastards they don't deserve _any_ money from _anyone_.
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Re: This will be it for me
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Talking about cutting off ones nose to spite the face
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Bite the Hand
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:(
It's too bad they don't even realize this fact...
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back lash
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Death to Clear Channel
Soap box over, thanks.
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Re: Death to Clear Channel
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NAB must be MAD
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Re: NAB must be MAD
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The Future
The internet and these new digital technologies in the end will mean that there is no need for the "middle man" just the "middle technology" between the artist and the music consumers. This middle technology has THREE MAJOR benefits, it has the potential to give consumers easier access to a wider variety of music product, it has less of a filtering effect between all that the artists produce and what the consumers will ever hear, and less cost passed on to the consumer, and of course NO NEED FOR A MIDDLE MAN. The you can see what whose interests and concerns would be with that scenario, control, control, control.
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The problem isn't that lobbyists are buying the whorish politicians, but that the government has the power and control authority in the first place that makes the purchase of these whores necessary in the first place. Because nothing gets down without Uncle Sam's say-so, pols have turned their offices into Mafia-like protection racket shakedown shops. "Youse wants some protections from doze Interwebs peoples? Drop off a sack of unmarked non-sequential bills and we'll, you know, takes care of doze guys for ya."
If the government didn't control so much of our lives, then lobbyists wouldn't be able to buy advantage and pols wouldn't be able to sell it to keep their worthless asses in office. You want corruption and money out of government, strip it of its abusive powers! Otherwise, STFU and enjoy your serfdom.
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And so?
For someone like Sony or Disney, to settle for merely selling music to consumers would be rather like settling for holding your exe's hand while s/he humps hobos.
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NAB is overstepping their area of expertise?
As a NAB member, I can honestly say NAB from first hand experience, your full of shit.
On my side, I will speak with Jay Inslee personally within the next week. After mentioning a similar situation in Feb, I think I know how things work.
NAB, we'll have a lot of fun with you. This time, it will be legit via discovery.
Your move.
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Re: NAB is overstepping their area of expertise?
I'm pretty sure it is. Doublecheck that. Because I want to make sure my last sentence of "It will be legit via discovery." is valid.
THANKS!
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Business is Business
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Losers!
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I hate terrestrial radio (anywhere in the world, it's all crap on a stick being shoved through our throats against our will)
I'm sticking to my mp3-player with podcasts and music from artists who do get it.
The corporate idiots can f*** the h*** off.
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I miss it so
An hour later and I've already found two new albums I need to get. Its a guilty pleasure, a bit like sneaking past the vengeful parents of an old girlfriend to recapture that spark.
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what else is new
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music and stuff
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Is this why I can't connect?
Glad to learn something new... it is owned by Hearst publications: http://www.hearst.com/interactive_media/
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Competition is Just a Part of Business.
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