Hope yet for Internet Radio

The United States Copyright Royalty Board will grant a series of requests by online radio broadcasters to re-hear the issue of streaming licence fees.

Netcasters big and small have been vocal in their opposition to the draconian rules that mean online music programming
will attract a licence fee of $0.0008 cents per song played, multiplied by the number of listeners.

Those figures are also scheduled to rise around 30% per year until 2010.

The netcasters say the new rules will effectively kill the viability of any online business model, a fact not lost on America’s record company lobby – the RIAA.

Arguments to the board will need to be in place by 2 April and a decision is expected shortly thereafter.