National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Board DirectorHenry Hinton will enter the long-running fray over the exemption of terrestrial radio from paying performance royalties for airplay of songs. Hinton will argue that stations should continue their statutory exemption. (See RAIN’s historical coverage of the issue HERE.)
The historic argument on the broadcast side is that radio play sells records. That legacy rationale loses currency in a world where recordings are streamed and largely monetized via subscriptions to streaming platforms.
The news now is that Hinton will testify today before the Senate Judiciary Committee. A point of argument is the American Music Fairness Act, a longstanding piece of proposed legislation which would establish radio royalties similar to how streaming platforms pay for record use.
Hinton’s appearance will be opposed by Michael Huppe, CEO of SoundExchange, the government-mandated organization which collects government-approved radio royalties.
As we learn in Radio Ink’s coverage, Henry Hinton is a lifelong broadcaster based in Greenville, NC. Radio Ink also got hold of Hinton’s prepared testimony, which will emphasize a long-running argument from the broadcast side — that radio offers promotional value to musicians, and furthermore is a lifeline during emergencies. That last argument has been used across many years of courtroom controversies around this issue, seemingly seeking to exempt radio from this royalty because of its unique importance as a national emergency system.