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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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October
15, 2009
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Kristopher
Jones
202-429-5486
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NEW STUDY HIGHLIGHTS AMERICA'S
OPPOSITION TO PERFORMANCE FEE
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Study shows that 75 percent of Americans
do not support a performance fee for music aired on local radio
stations
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-- Opposition climbs to 26 in Senate --
WASHINGTON,
DC --A clear majority of Americans oppose legislation backed by
the Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA) that would force local
radio stations
to pay an additional fee for every song aired free to listeners,
according
to a poll released today by the National Association of
Broadcasters.
The poll reveals that 75 percent of participants do not support
a performance
fee levied on radio stations, and 85 percent recognize the
promotional
value radio airplay brings to artists and their music.
The poll
comes as Congressional opposition continues to grow. Sen. James
Inhofe
(OK), has become the most recent lawmaker to express opposition
to the
record label-backed legislation. Currently, a bipartisan group
of 251
House lawmakers and 26 U.S. Senators oppose a performance tax on
local
radio stations.
The poll,
conducted August 24-31, 2009, randomly surveyed 1,000 likely
voters nationwide
to examine America's attitude toward the performance tax debate.
Participants
were questioned on their knowledge of the proposed legislation,
and were
given additional information about the issue from a May 6
article published
by The Wall Street Journal.
The referenced
Wall Street Journal article stated that the legislation
"would
force radio companies to pay royalties [fees] of as much as $500
million
a year to record labels and artists whose music they play."
The article
went on to say that "any additional expenses could send
[radio companies]
one step closer to financial restructuring." After being
provided
with these excerpts, poll participants were asked whether they
would "favor
or oppose the performance fee, requiring local radio stations to
pay a
fee for every song they play". Results showed that 60
percent "definitely
opposed," 12 percent "probably opposed" and 3
percent "leaned
opposed."
As
part
of the survey, 85 percent of those polled agreed with the
statement that
read, "Songs played on the radio help drive music sales,
generating
record sales annually for performers." Results here showed
that 64
percent "strongly agreed" and 21 percent
"somewhat agreed"
with the statement.
Commenting
on the study NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton said,
"This
survey demonstrates that the more Americans know about a
proposed performance
tax, the more likely they are to oppose it. Simply put, a
performance
tax is bad for free, local radio. It's bad for radio's 235
million weekly
listeners. And it's bad for the legions of new and legacy
artists whose
careers were launched and nurtured by free radio
airplay."
The survey,
commissioned by NAB, was conducted by Wilson Research
Strategies, a Washington,
DC-based firm.
NAB also
placed an ad today in three Capitol Hill publications,
Congressional
Quarterly, National Journal's Congress Daily, and
POLITICO, highlighting
the poll's findings.
"Americans
understand fairness. And the overwhelming majority agree that
local radio
stations should not be taxed for playing music just to subsidize
the failing
business model of the foreign-owned record labels," reads
the print
advertisement.
Countering
the RIAA-backed legislation is the Local Radio Freedom Act,
which opposes
"any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other
charge" on
local radio stations. The Local Radio Freedom Act, unveiled at a
February
Capitol Hill event hosted by the Free Radio Alliance, was
introduced by
Reps. Gene Green (TX-29) and Mike Conaway (TX-11) in the House
and by
Sens. Blanche Lincoln (AR) and John Barrasso (WY) in the Senate.
To
date,
a bipartisan group of 251 House members and 26 Senators support
the Local
Radio Freedom Act. The House cosponsors are:
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Robert
Aderholt (AL-4)
John Adler (NJ-3)
Rob Andrews (NJ-1)
Todd Akin (MO-2)
Rodney Alexander (LA-5)
Jason Altmire (PA-4)
Mike Arcuri (NY-24)
Steve Austria (OH-7)
Michele Bachmann (MN-6)
Spencer Bachus (AL-6)
Brian Baird (WA-3)
Gresham Barrett (SC-3)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6)
Melissa Bean (IL-8)
Shelley Berkley (NV-1)
Marion Berry (AR-1)
Judy Biggert (IL-13)
Brian Bilbray (CA-50)
Gus Bilirakis(FL-9)
Sanford Bishop (GA-2)
Roy Blunt (MO-7)
John Boccieri (OH-16)
Jo Bonner (AL-1)
John Boozman (AR-3)
Dan Boren (OK-2)
Leonard Boswell (IA-3)
Charles Boustany (LA-7)
Allen Boyd (FL-2)
Kevin Brady (TX-8)
Robert Brady (PA-1)
Bruce Braley (IA-1)
Bobby Bright (AL-2)
Paul Broun (GA-10)
Corrine Brown (FL-3)
Henry Brown (SC-1)
Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-5)
Vern Buchanan (FL-13)
Michael Burgess (TX-26)
Dan Burton (IN-5)
Steve Buyer (IN-4)
John Campbell (CA-48)
Shelly Moore Capito (WV-2)
Ken Calvert (CA-44)
Anh "Joseph" Cao (LA-2)
Mike Capuano (MA-8)
Dennis Cardoza (CA-18)
Russ Carnahan (MO-3)
Christopher Carney (PA-10)
Andre Carson (IN-7)
John Carter (TX-31)
Bill Cassidy (LA-6)
Michael Castle (DE-AL)
Ben Chandler (KY-6)
William Lacy Clay (MO-1)
Mike Coffman (CO-6)
Tom Cole (OK-4)
Mike Conaway (TX-11)
Jerry Costello (IL-12)
Joseph Courtney (CT-2)
Ander Crenshaw (FL-4)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
John Culberson (TX-7)
Elijah Cummings (MD-7)
Artur Davis (AL-7)
Danny Davis (IL-7)
Geoff Davis (KY-4)
Lincoln Davis (TN-4)
Charles Dent (PA-15)
Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21)
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)
Norm Dicks (WA-6)
Joe Donnelly (IN-2)
Steve Driehaus (OH-1)
John Duncan (TN-2)
Chet Edwards (TX-17)
Vernon Ehlers (MI-3)
Brad Ellsworth (IN-8)
Jo Ann Emerson (MO-8)
Bob Etheridge (NC-2)
Mary Fallin (OK-5)
Chaka Fattah (PA-2)
John Fleming (LA-4)
Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1)
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Bill
Foster (IL-14)
Virginia Foxx (NC-5)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11)
Scott Garrett (NJ-5)
Elton Gallegly (CA-24)
Jim Gerlach (PA-6)
Phil Gingrey (GA-11)
Kay Granger (TX-12)
Sam Graves (MO-6)
Al Green (TX-9)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Parker Griffith (AL-5)
Brett Guthrie (KY-2)
Ralph Hall (TX-4)
Deborah Halvorson (IL-11)
Phil Hare (IL-17)
Gregg Harper (MS-3)
Alcee Hastings (FL-23)
Doc Hastings (WA-4)
Dean Heller (NV-2)
Wally Herger (CA-2)
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL)
Baron Hill (IN-9)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Pete Hoekstra (MI-2)
Tim Holden (PA-17)
Duncan Hunter (CA-52)
Bob Inglis (SC-4)
Lynn Jenkins (KS-2)
Timothy Johnson (IL-15)
Walter Jones (NC-3)
Jim Jordan (OH-4)
Steve Kagen (WI-8)
Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)
Dale Kildee (MI-5)
Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)
Ron Kind (WI-3)
Jack Kingston (GA-1)
Mark Kirk (IL-10)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-1)
Larry Kissell (NC-8)
John Kline (MN-2)
Frank Kratovil (MD-1)
Doug Lamborn (CO-5)
Leonard Lance (NJ-7)
Rick Larsen (WA-2)
Tom Latham (IA-4)
Steve LaTourette (OH-14)
Robert Latta (OH-5)
Jerry Lewis (CA-41)
John Lewis (GA-5)
John Linder (GA-7)
Chris Lee (NY-26)
Frank Lucas (OK-3)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2)
Dave Loebsack (IA-2)
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9)
Ben Ray Lujan (NM-3)
Cynthia Lummis (WY-AL)
Daniel Lungren (CA-3)
Don Manzullo (IL-16)
Kenny Marchant (TX-24)
Betsy Markey (CO-4)
Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4)
Michael McCaul (TX-10)
Tom McClintock (CA-4)
Patrick McHenry (NC-10)
John McHugh (NY-23)
Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
Howard McKeon (CA-25)
Cathy McMorris Rogers (WA-5)
Kendrick Meek (FL-17)
Charlie Melancon (LA-3)
Michael Michaud (ME-2)
Brad Miller (NC-13)
Candice Miller (MI-10)
Gary Miller (CA-42)
Jeff Miller (FL-1)
Walt Minnick (ID-1)
Harry Mitchell (AZ-5)
Alan Mollohan (WV-1)
Dennis Moore (KS-3)
Jerry Moran (KS-1)
Sue Myrick (NC-9)
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Randy
Neugebauer (TX-19)
Devin Nunes (CA-21)
James Oberstar (MN-8)
Pete Olson (TX-22)
Solomon Ortiz (TX-27)
Frank Pallone (NJ-6)
Erik Paulson (MN-3)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-8)
Ron Paul (TX-14)
Mike Pence (IN-6)
Tom Perriello (VA-5)
Tom Petri (WI-6)
Pedro Pierluisi (PR-At Large)
Joe Pitts (PA-16)
Todd Platts (PA-19)
Ted Poe (TX-2)
Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL)
Bill Posey (FL-15)
David Price (NC-4)
Tom Price (GA-6)
Adam Putnam (FL-12)
George Radanovich (CA-19)
Nick Rahall (WV-3)
Charles Rangel (NY-15)
Dennis Rehberg (MT-AL)
Dave Reichert (WA-8)
Silvestre Reyes (TX-16)
Phil Roe (TN-1)
Harold Rogers (KY-5)
Mike Rogers (AL-3)
Mike Rogers (MI-8)
Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46)
Peter Roskam (IL-6)
Mike Ross (AR-4)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18)
Edward Royce (CA-40)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2)
Bobby Rush (IL-1)
Paul Ryan (WI-1)
Tim Ryan (OH-17)
John Sarbanes (MD-3)
Steve Scalise (LA-1)
Jean Schmidt (OH-2)
Aaron Schock (IL-18)
Allyson Schwartz (PA-13)
David Scott (GA-13)
Pete Sessions (TX-32)
Joe Sestak (PA-7)
John Shimkus (IL-19)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1)
Heath Shuler (NC-11)
Bill Shuster (PA-9)
Mike Simpson (ID-2)
Albio Sires (NJ-13)
Ike Skelton (MO-4)
Adrian Smith (NE-3)
Christopher Smith (NJ-4)
Zack Space (OH-18)
Mark Souder (IN-3)
John Spratt (SC-5)
Cliff Stearns (FL-6)
Bart Stupak (MI-1)
John Sullivan (OK-1)
Harry Teague (NM-2)
Lee Terry (NE-2)
Mike Thompson (CA-1)
Glenn Thompson (PA-5)
"Mac" Thornberry (TX-13)
Todd Tiahrt (KS-4)
Pat Tiberi (OH-12)
Dina Titus (NV-3)
Mike Turner (OH-3)
Fred Upton (MI-6)
Peter Visclosky (IN-1)
Greg Walden (OR-2)
Timothy Walz (MN-1)
Lynn Westmoreland (GA-3)
Ed Whitfield (KY-1)
Charlie Wilson (OH-6)
Joe Wilson (SC-2)
Rob Wittman (VA-1)
Frank Wolf (VA-10)
Don Young (AK-At Large)
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The
Local Radio Freedom Act's 26 Senate cosponsors are:
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John
Barrasso (WY)
Max Baucus (MT)
Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Christopher Bond (MO)
Sam Brownback (KS)
Richard Burr (NC)
Thad Cochran (MS)
Susan Collins (ME)
Mike Crapo (ID)
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Michael
Enzi (WY)
Judd Gregg (NH)
Kay Hagan (NC)
James Inhofe (OK)
Johnny Isakson (GA)
Mike Johanns (NE)
Tim Johnson (SD)
Mary Landrieu (LA)
Joseph Lieberman (CT)
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Blanche
Lincoln (AR)
Benjamin Nelson (NE)
Pat Roberts (KS)
Olympia Snowe (ME)
Jon Tester (MT)
John Thune (SD)
David Vitter (LA)
Roger Wicker (MS)
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About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy
association
for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television
interests
in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy,
education
and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their
communities,
strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the
digital
age. Learn more at www.nab.org.
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