NAB's Dennis Wharton Counters Huppe

Dennis Wharton

After hearing about the Huppe keynote, NAB Executive VP of Communications Dennis Wharton said the NAB was not surprised by his anti-radio comments, according to RadioInk.

"Keep in mind that this rant comes from the head of an organization – SoundExchange – that for years could not find the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to pay royalties the group was owed. So the fact that Mr. Huppe remains confused about the value of local radio airplay should not come as a surprise. Mr. Huppe can make ridiculous speeches every day of the week. But we challenge him to ask any aspiring recording artist if she wants her music played on a local radio station. The answer will be a resounding 'Yes!'"

Wharton also included a long list of facts and quotes from artists thanking radio for playing their music.

Here are the facts about radio's value to performers and record labels:

• The promotional value of free and local radio airplay to artists and record labels is between $1.5 billion and $2.4 billion annually, according to James Dertouzos, a former PhD Stanford economist.
• Free and local radio remains by far the #1 promotional platform for exposing new music, according to Nielsen.
• Local radio pays more than $330 million annually to songwriters, and millions more in digital fees to labels and artists.

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