Pandora Hires Congressional Staffer

David Grimaldi

Pandora has hired David Grimaldi, a veteran of congress, as the Internet radio company faces music-licensing regulations on multiple fronts, according to indusrtry newsletter RAIN.

Grimaldi was most recently Chief of Staff for FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. Previously, Grimaldi was senior counsel for Mignon Clyburn’s father, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, an appointment made in September, 2010.

Grimaldi joins Pandora at a time when the market-leading Internet radio service faces many negotiations and legal arguments related to the cost of music it streams, and the U.S. government’s regulation of that cost. Pandora is a so-called non-interactive webcaster, which puts it in a different regulatory bucket from Spotify, Rhapsody, Beats Music, and other on-demand services which negotiate directly with record labels. Pandora acquires recorded music via compulsory licenses, and pays royalty rates set by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB).

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