Testimony from this morning’s full committee hearing in the US House of Representatives Small Business Committee (Assessing the Impact of the Copyright Royalty Board Decision to Increase Royalty Rates on Recording Artists and Webcasters) is posted on YouTube.
Opening statements are included from: Chairwoman Nydia Vel?°zquez (D-NY) and Ranking Member Steve Chabot (R-OH); Bryan Miller – WOXY.COM General Manager; Tom Silverman – Chairman, Tommy Boy Records; Kieran Kelly – Co-Owner, Stunning Models on Display Records; Cathy Fink – Artist; Joey Allcorn – Artist; Richard Eiswerth – President, General Manager & CEO, Cincinnati Public Radio; Thomas F. Lee – President, American Federation of Musicians.
The question/answer session with the members of the committee are also included, with 15 separate YouTube videos between the statements and the questions.
No big surprises in the testimony – the labels and artists feel they deserve this larger share, and the webcasters decry the large-scale rate increases – though one artist did support the stance of the online radio people.
If you are interested in how this issue is resolved, this is a rare opportunity to hear both sides present their position. If you feel strongly about this and are a US citizen, perhaps you might contact your Representative and make your own views known to them.
