Economists Do It With Models’s Comments

• Oct 19th, 2009 @ 11:58pm

  Re:

  on Senate Judiciary Committee Approves RIAA Bailout Radio Tax
  I think this is the best point in the debate yet. In general, I am intrigued as to how the desire for payola and the desire to charge royalties can coexist on a large scale. If we were so worried previously that labels were going to try to pay radio stations to broadcast music, how are we now concerned that the labels are going to charge such a high royalty as to threaten the financial viability of the radio stations? Is it really the case that they would pay to put bad music on the air but charge to have good music put on? :)
  
  That said, in the interest of fairness it seems like a not entirely terrible idea to loosen the restrictions regardling payola, perhaps allowing it as long as it's disclosed to the listeners, as is the requirement with other forms of media.
• Oct 19th, 2009 @ 1:48pm

  Re: Why bother..

  on Senate Judiciary Committee Approves RIAA Bailout Radio Tax
  At the risk of sounding like a broken record...it's super helpful to read the act before commenting on it. The act repeals an earlier royalty exemption that was given to terrestrial broadcasting. Saying "you are no longer prohibited from charging a fee" is not the same as "forcing" anyone to pay the RIAA anything.
• Oct 19th, 2009 @ 1:40pm

  Re: shady

  on Senate Judiciary Committee Approves RIAA Bailout Radio Tax
  Not really, since the flat fee is only an option ("may elect"), not a requirement. The flat fee option is at least in part to protect smaller radio stations. There are also clauses in the act that give exemtions to religion-based stations and such.
• Oct 19th, 2009 @ 1:31pm

  Re: Performance Rights Act

  on Senate Judiciary Committee Approves RIAA Bailout Radio Tax
  The Performance Rights Act actually does get the government out of the equation. The act repeals a clause in earlier legislation that stated that it is illegal to collect certain types of royalties from radio stations.
  
  It seems that, in general, media and pro-radio organizations are more interested in spreading propoganda (complete with fun buzzwords like "bailout") than actually understanding the issue.