A majority of U.S. House members are now publicly opposed to a record label-led effort to strap radio stations with new fees for airing music free to listeners. The Local Radio Freedom Act now has 220 House cosponsors and 13 Senate cosponsors. Following the announcement that a majority of U.S. House members now publicly oppose the record label-led effort, representatives from 50 independent state broadcast associations wrote Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA-08) urging her to oppose any effort to bring H.R. 848 to the House floor for a vote.

"The Judiciary Committee is in the process of asking the GAO to study the impact of the bill on small, religious and minority-owned stations whose existence and future growth would be devastated under H.R. 848. Moving the bill before that study has been completed, made public and is evaluated would place the cart before the horse," the letter reads. "Please help ensure that radio remains a viable voice and that H.R. 848 is not sent to the House floor for a vote."

The entire letter can be read here in PDF format. Click here for a full list of Local Radio Freedom Act cosponsors.