Congressional Hearings Focus On Radio Royalties

Music licensing came under attack during the first day of congressional hearings on Tuesday, as entertainment and media executives pleaded for changes to how music rights were acquired and paid for online and by radio and television stations.

The NYTimes reports the hearing, before a House Judiciary subcommittee, was part of a broad review of copyright led by Robert W. Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia who heads the Judiciary committee.

The seven witnesses on Tuesday, representing the Grammy Awards, the music-licensing agency BMI, television stations and Silicon Valley technology companies, spoke about decades-old government regulation and the patchwork of federal laws that govern music licensing.

In the music industry, an overhaul of the copyright laws is seen as needed to keep up with the rapid pace of technological change in the marketplace, with streaming services like Pandora, Spotify and YouTube taking the place of CD sales and even downloads.

Even with the ascendance of digital media, however, one of the music industry’s most intense battles centers on AM and FM radio stations, which pay royalties to songwriters but not to performing artists. Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the group behind the Grammys, said, “There’s no example in American history of business that profits from the works of others without paying them.”

A second music licensing hearing is scheduled for June 25, with witnesses from ASCAP, the radio broadcasters and music labels.

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