H.R. 848/S. 379 (Performence Tax) When Is Actually Voted On??

H.R. 848/S. 379 (Performence Tax) When Is Actually Voted On??

H.R. 848/S. 379 <<<<Does anybody know when this is will be voted on?


Thanx
radiorohn

Re: H.R. 848/S. 379 (Performence Tax) When Is Actually Voted On??

Isn't this about radio stations being charged out the wazoo to play music on the air? First MTV and VH1 limit the amount of videos they show to about four or five hours a day, and now this!

WE NEED FREE MUSIC!!! If we listen to a song for free on the radio and like it, we might decide to buy the full album at Wal-Mart or Sam Goody or some other store! That's was the original goal of Top 40 radio and MTV to begin with!

If the result of the bill rips music from the airwaves, every station will be either all news or all talk or all sports (hopefully mostly sports stations), and radio would be 50% in the coffin.

Re: H.R. 848/S. 379 (Performence Tax) When Is Actually Voted On??

I haven't been able to find an actual date for the vote, but Inside Radio made this comment:

"What impact two days of lobbying will have on the performance royalty fight may not be known for weeks, but by Memorial Day it should become clear whether the music industry has enough support to bring proposed legislation to a vote. With mid-term elections looming, the legislative clock is quickly winding down."

http://www.insideradio.com/default.asp

So we may know something by Memorial Day. Of course, a vote on this bill could also be postponed.

c5

Re: H.R. 848/S. 379 (Performence Tax) When Is Actually Voted On??

I woudn't worry about it, as it appears the entire Congressional schedule is going to be taken up with
health care from now until the morning after Super Bowl XLVI

Re: H.R. 848/S. 379 (Performence Tax) When Is Actually Voted On??

I agree with FreddyE. The bill is now in legislative purgatory. It has to be discussed by the full House & Senate before a vote is taken, and there's no time for that this legislative year. That's why both sides scheduled meetings this week on the Hill. The fact is it's a no-win situation for most legislators. They're better off punting and hoping the bill dies. The supporters served their lobbyists and constituents well. They got the bill through the Committees. That's really all they can do.

Re: H.R. 848/S. 379 (Performence Tax) When Is Actually Voted On??

I think House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Emeritus John Dingell, Speaking at the NAB State Leadership Dinner in Washington, D.C. a few nights ago said it all:

"I'd like to express my opposition to legislation imposing a performance tax on broadcasters. I am concerned that such a tax would be of less benefit to recording artists than to record labels, many of which are based abroad. Further, recording artists and record labels have profited handsomely for years from the free publicity they get from broadcasters, a mutually beneficial relationship that a performance tax will destroy. Lastly, and perhaps most practically, it seems ridiculous to me to impose a new punitive fee on broadcasters during this time of recession, especially as broadcasters have seen their revenues decrease by up to 40 percent over the past several years."

My take is that most on Capital Hill are in agreement with the respected Mr. Dingell and are cool to the PRA if not down right cold to it. If the bill did come up for vote, this year or next, I believe it would be defeated by a wide margin.

c5

Re: H.R. 848/S. 379 (Performence Tax) When Is Actually Voted On??

From RBR:

"The Local Radio Freedom Act, the antithesis to the Performance Rights Act, picked up a major “get” – a co-sponsorship signature from House mega-lion John Dingell (D-MI). LRFA, which opposes adding any new financial burdens to local broadcasters, picked up another signature in addition to that of Dingell.

The other legislator is Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), bringing the total number of House LRFA co-sponsors to 258, 40 more than would be needed to send the Performance Rights Act down in defeat."

http://www.rbr.com/radio/22300.html

So it appears that the PRA will lose by a 93%-7% margin. I guess the RIAA's inflatable pig just couldn't make this bill fly.

c5

Re: H.R. 848/S. 379 (Performence Tax) When Is Actually Voted On??

Keep in mind that the way Congress works (if you're following the Health Care proposal), a bill doesn't have to be voted on directly in order to become law.