Rep. Malliotakis Cosponsors the Local Radio Freedom Act
- The New York State Broadcasters Association
- 4 days ago
- 1 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Thank you to Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11 – Staten Island) for cosponsoring the Local Radio Freedom Act. For years, the recording industry has pushed for a new copyright law requiring local stations to pay performers for music that is broadcast on free, over-the-air radio stations. Local broadcasters already copyright fees to song writers, and we pay both song writers and performers for digital performances. It has been estimated that over-the-air radio broadcasts amount to $2.4 billion in promotional value to performers.
Accordingly, local broadcasters have supported the Local Radio Freedom Act, which is a resolution opposing the imposition of performance fees on free, over the air radio broadcasters. This year, the bipartisan legislation has 194 cosponsors in the US House of Representatives (H. Con. Res. 12) and 25 in the Senate (Sen. Con. Res. 8). Nine members of the NY delegation have cosponsored the legislation:
Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]
Rep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]
Rep. Kennedy, Tim [D-NY-26]
Rep. LaLota, Nick [R-NY-1]
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]
This strong support makes it unlikely that Congress will change the copyright to impose performance fees of local radio stations. Nonetheless, as in past years, this issue deserves very close attention. NYSBA is working to increase the number of cosponsors.
You can access the House version of the Local Radio Freedom Act here.
You can access the Senate Version of the Local Radio Freedom Act here.
For more information on the Local Radio Freedom Act, go to the NAB’s website here.
