Internet Radio Gets a Reprieve

This is very good news for those who listen to forms of music other than commercial pop and commercial country. :thumbs:



Internet radio gets a reprieve

With deadline looming that many feared would shut down Web-based music, two sides reach for a compromise that analysts believe will benefit smaller operators.

By Jeff Cox, CNNMoney.com contributing writer
July 17 2007: 2:25 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Black Sunday has come and gone, and Internet radio has managed to live and play for another day.

July 15 had been the deadline for a new set of royalty fees to kick in that would have raised rates for some Web-based stations by 300 percent or more. Many stations said they could no longer operate under the new fee structure, and some smaller broadcasters already have shut down.

But months of brinkmanship between Internet radio operators and recording industry representatives ended late last week with little more than a whimper as most stations kept running while negotiations progress toward a workable compromise. SoundExchange, the umbrella organization that collects royalty fees for the recording industry, agreed to continue negotiations on thenew rates with hopes of reaching a deal that will please everyone.

Industry analysts believe the dispute, thought by some to be a potential deathknell for Web broadcasting, or streaming as it is often referred, is cooling off toward a mutually beneficial conclusion. They contend the true endgame could be an effort to target only the largest broadcasters while allowing mom-and-pop operators to continue under the previous and less onerous royalty structure.

- rest at http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/17/technology/internet_radio/index.htm