Jam-Packed Grammy Town Hall Gets Radioactive
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NATIONAL ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS & SCIENCES® ADVANCING THE RIGHTS OF MUSIC CREATORS | SUMMER 2009 Jam-PACKED GRAMMY TOWN HALL GETS RADIOACTIVE Music professionals and political officials engage in a lively discussion regarding the fight for a terrestrial radio royalty Panelists Mary Wilson and Rep. John Conyers Jr. discuss the Performance Rights Act at the GRAMMY Town Hall Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage.com GRAMMY Town Hall Sets Stage For trade issue, it is a private property issue, is paid by international radio stations and it is an individual issue for millions of monies collected internationally by foreign Radio Royalty Battle entertainers like Sam [Moore] and like performing rights societies, those monies Mary [Wilson].” She also stressed the don’t get repatriated to America. So you Legislators, music leaders gather for timely discussion on Performance Rights Act legislation would preserve the current have tens of millions of dollars every year terrestrial radio royalty for songwriters. that are collected by performing rights Discussing the business side, Rep. societies in Germany and Australia, France, Issa asserted, “I believe that the business England, everywhere…the money just models that are working — in satellite, disappears, and nothing ever comes back.” cable, and the Internet — have proven With the floor open for questions, that the success or failure of the model is Billboard Editorial Director Bill Werde not based on whether they pay some- noted that one broadcaster estimated thing to the [music creators].” the Performance Rights Act would cost Wilson pointed out that the Supremes’ the radio industry $7 billion and asked first No. 1 hit, “Where Did Our Love Go,” the panel if this figure was correct. has been in constant radio rotation since Rep. Conyers replied that the legislation 1964. Drawing a laugh from the crowd, allows for those stations making less than Josh Groban asks a question she said, “All the times that that record $1.25 million in revenue to pay $5,000 regarding the Performance Rights has been played on the AM and FM per year for playing unlimited recordings. Simon Renshaw and Rep. Darrell Issa discuss the Performance Rights Act at the GRAMMY Town Hall Act at the GRAMMY Town Hall Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage.com Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage.com stations, I [could] probably have retired Noncommercial stations would pay $1,000 on some island.” per year. However, he added, “What Just two days after the re-introduction Academy Vice President of Advocacy & In noting that the United States is one difference does it make? We want some of the Performance Rights Act in the U.S. Government Relations Daryl Friedman. of the few developed countries that does justice here…we’re talking about correcting House of Representatives and Senate, They were joined onstage by artist not pay musicians a radio performance a wrong that has gone unremedied for key congressional sponsors of the bill manager Simon Renshaw and former royalty, Renshaw said, “The money that too damn long.” came to Los Angeles during GRAMMY Supremes member Mary Wilson. Week to discuss the legislation with Special guests in the audience included more than 300 members of The Recording GRAMMY-winning songwriter, Academy Academy and music community at the Trustee and Advocacy Committee GRAMMY Town Hall on Feb. 7. Chair Lamont Dozier, 51st GRAMMY The legislation is the latest version nominee Josh Groban and R&B vocalist of a bipartisan effort to secure a royalty Sam Moore. for terrestrial radio airplay for vocalists, Rep. Conyers, a member of the House musicians and producers. Although of Representatives since 1964 and chairman satellite, cable and Internet broadcasters of the Judiciary Committee that oversees pay such a royalty, terrestrial radio stations all intellectual property matters, noted are currently exempt under federal the challenge of taking on the broad- copyright law. casters’ lobby. “This is going to be a Three of the House bill’s co-sponsors — serious struggle,” he said. Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Rep. Blackburn suggested that the Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) and Darrell Issa issues at the heart of the bill cut across At the GRAMMY Town Hall: (l-r, standing) Daryl Friedman, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Simon Renshaw, Rep. Darrell Issa, (R-Calif.) — appeared on the GRAMMY a wide spectrum of concerns: “It is an Mary Wilson, and Rep. John Conyers Jr.; (l-r, seated) Academy Chair Jimmy Jam, Josh Groban, Sam Moore, and Lamont Dozier Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage.com Town Hall panel moderated by Recording economic issue, it is a jobs issue, it is a 2 CAPITOL TRACKS CAPITOL TRACKS 3 Academy Leadership Treks To Washington To Continue Royalty Battle President/CEO Neil Portnow and Academy Board members lobby for radio performance right Following his GRAMMY telecast remarks Leahy (D-Vt.) and Reps. Howard Berman to approximately 20 million viewers that (D-Calif.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and included a call to action in support of a John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), which brought terrestrial radio performance right for music increased attention to the legislation and creators, Recording Academy President/ reinforced the need for music creators to CEO Neil Portnow came to Washington, be fairly compensated for their work. D.C., to deliver that message in person on The bill would close the “corporate Feb. 23. Joining GRAMMY-winning artists radio loophole” that allows terrestrial Recording Academy leaders meet with the Tennessee delegation in Washington: (l-r) Academy Trustee Helen Sheryl Crow, Herbie Hancock, Emmylou broadcasters to play sound recordings Bruner, Academy South Regional Director Susan Stewart, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), recording artist Jonathan Yudkin, Nashville Chapter Board members Anthony L. Smith and Drew Alexander, Sen. Bob Corker Harris, Patti LaBelle, members of Los without compensating the artists who (R-Tenn.), Nashville Chapter Advocacy Representative Darrell Brown, Warner Music Group’s Linda Bloss-Baum, Tigres Del Norte, Dionne Warwick, and created the recordings. Other platforms and Nashville Chapter Governor Rivers Rutherford Photo: Office of Sen. Alexander will.i.am, Portnow and other musicFIRST in the United States such as satellite Coalition representatives walked the halls and Internet radio pay this performance 40 Recording Academy members including by a House Judiciary Committee hearing of Congress to advance the Performance royalty, as do terrestrial broadcasters in leadership from Academy Chapters on the legislation on March 10. Testifying Rights Act, H. R. 878 and S. 379. A press most every other developed nation. nationwide came to Washington for a day on behalf of recording artists was Smashing conference also took place featuring As a follow-up to the press of grassroots advocacy. Joining other Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. Corgan, Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Patrick conference, on March 3 more than musicFIRST Coalition advocates, Academy a two-time GRAMMY winner, noted, “The members organized into teams and change to the law we are here to discuss visited with only redresses an outmoded, unfair practice members of that favors one participant’s needs over Congress and another. This legislation is simply a form key legislative of restoration to artists long overdue. staff through- Not every performer on a hit song is a out Capitol big name, and they might not see the Hill. As a result same windfall that a star might. One of these visits, can’t assume they participate in the several new merchandise or touring income that is members of linked to commercial radio success. Not Congress everyone who hears a song on terrestrial signed on radio buys a ticket or a T-shirt.” as co-spon- The House Judiciary Committee is sors of the expected to vote on the Performance legislation. Rights Act later this spring and the GRAMMY-winning artist Billy Music professionals convene at a press conference in Washington addressing the Performance Rights Act: Corgan testifies at a House The grass- Senate Judiciary Committee is also (l-r) will.i.am, Los Tigres Del Norte’s Luis Hernández and Oscar Lara, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Herbie Hancock, Patti LaBelle, Judiciary Committee hearing roots action expected to address the bill in the Recording Academy Trustee John Simson, and Neil Portnow Photo: Sean McCormick Photo: Paul Morigi/WireImage.com was followed coming months. 4 CAPITOL TRACKS CAPITOL TRACKS 5 concert industry is that the FCC has Relations Daryl Friedman and featured initiative focusing on the development Advocacy Roll Call adopted a geolocation database system panelists Kenneth D. Freundlich, entertain- of the local music industry. Organized by News briefs for the music community allowing concert operations to register used ment attorney, Freundlich Law; Jon Potter, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, the initiative’s frequencies into a dynamic database. The executive director, Digital Media Association; initial steps included conducting a five-year Conyers Takes Over IP Issues new devices would automatically check the and Jay Rosenthal, senior VP and general follow-up economic impact study, which Due to changes in U.S. House of Rep- database and avoid the spectrum, thereby counsel, National Music Publishers’ identified that the Seattle music industry resentatives’ chairmanships, Rep. Howard theoretically avoiding interference. Association. The panelists discussed recent directly created 11,155 jobs and that Berman (D-Calif.) was set to relinquish his Copyright Royalty Board rulings, how they 2,618 music-related businesses