Please sign this and save internet radio

[Automatic TLC]

I put this on my official website and my myspace..PLEASE take the time to read some stuff:

Before the days of internet popularity, there were very limited opportunities for independent and unsigned musicians to promote their works of art. Basically, you either had to hit it big or you were stuck playing local shows for high school and college students. Now, in the age of technology and in a world where the computer is involved in everyones life one way or another, it's never been easier for artists to spread the word about their talent...or so we thought.
Recently, the Copyright Royalty Board proposed to raise royalty fees that could possibly put some of the most loved internet radio stations out of business. In the past, internet radio stations only had to pay royalties calculated as a percentage of revenue. Now, under the new plan small webcasters and internet radio stations will have to pay on a per-song/per-listener basis. A cost that many internet-ran businesses, even with their extensive advertising, could not afford. Even corporate owned internet-radio stations such as AOL, Yahoo!, Time Warner, and Clear Channel, whose royalties are already paid on a per-song/per-listener basis are at risk as their costs will also rise.
Mathmatically speaking, from 2006-2008 royalty rates will rise fourteen American-cents per listener. This means, for an i-station playing fourteen songs, that will come to two cents a listener per-hour. With radio stations that attract thousands of listeners a day (such as live365 & Pandora,) those pennies add up and would be extremely horrible for business, not only with small-businesses, but corporate owned stations as well.
With royalty rates rising, this could not only silence internet-broadcasters, but also the independent and unsigned music scene. Most musicians play live shows, but for those who do not have the money or simply cannot do so, go to internet radio (as a matter of fact, even those who play live shows promote thier music through internet radio.) Listeners today are hungry for music that is not heard as much on the radio anymore and this could also limit how listeners discover new music.
RJ Eclectica is asking everyone to voice their opinion. Please start by signing the petition-online page http://www.petitiononline.com/SIR2007r/petition.html (link opens in new window) which currently has over 40,000+ signatures. This petition addresses U.S. congress and asks them to please re-think the plan for this change. You can also voice your opinion by spreading this petition-online page to your friends. Many of you have online blogs, myspace and facebook pages. You also use AIM, MSN, Yahoo, E-mail, telephone, mail, and your mouths to communicate with others. Please write and/or speak to others about this important matter and inform them of this potentially musically-devastating situation. We've always been told to speak up and now is the time to do so! Every persons voice matters. Make yours heard today. Click here. http://www.petitiononline.com/SIR2007r/petition.html
"Internet Radio is something that has supported what I and millions of other musicians do for a living since the birth of this revolutionary tool and for it to possibly be silenced is a mortifying thought to think. I encourage everyone to do whatever they can to prevent this terrible blow to the music world." - RJ Eclectica
To learn more about this situation, you can click the following links:
Copyright Royalty Board's decision: http://www.loc.gov/crb/proceedings/2...erms2005-1.pdf
Live365 Choice: http://www.live365.com/choice/
Business Week Article: http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...307_534338.htm

[Maca (Mod)]

Signed. If there's more we can do or sign or whatever just let us know.

[kat_4eva2]

i want to sign too, but do you have to be american? it asks for a Z.ip code

[Maca (Mod)]

I have a P.O. box in Miami for when I buy things on amazon.com, and the zip is 33122, you can use that one if you want

[kat_4eva2]

oh thanks alejandro wow theres now 40298 signatures in total!!! cool is it alright if i post this on another forum so other people can see it and sign RJ?

[Maca (Mod)]

I'll spread the word too

[Vicious]

Originally Posted by kat_4eva2

oh thanks alejandro wow theres now 40298 signatures in total!!! cool is it alright if i post this on another forum so other people can see it and sign RJ?

No, that's not cool.
That's what he's asking, to spread the word. So of course it is cool

[kat_4eva2]

^i dont get it lol
btw i dont think ive seen you use that smiley () before lol

[Automatic TLC]

Yeah, you can spread the word! That would be a great help.
Thanks so much for signing this everyone.