Online petition wants streaming back on

A petition against increased fees being charged for radio station online streaming has gone live and is quickly gaining traction.

The petition states:

“For the past 11 months, many commercial radio stations, mostly in regional Australia have been forced to stop their online streaming activities.  This is because the Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull has refused to implement the recommendations of the all Party Senate Environment and Communications References Committee made in July 2013.  

In particular, this Committee made a specific recommendation that the ambiguity that is forcing many regional radio stations to pay additional licencing fees in order stream online.  This has enabled the PPCA to conduct an obscene campaign of greed against the commercial radio stations, many of whom are subject to compliance costs and that is BEFORE the demands of the PPCA are taken into consideration.

I would urge you all to please sign this petition as soon as possible.  In particular, I would urge you to please sign and share among your networks, including your employment and social networks.  Please sign and share among your families, friends and collegues and please make it clear to them that the online streaming is an environment that many radio stations must adapt to in 2014!”

The online petition has been started by Angus Moody, who is passionately opposed to additional licencing fees for online streaming.

The radio industry is in dispute with the PPCA because it believes the music publishers’ collecting society is asking too much for the right to simulcast live to air broadcasts on the internet.

Joan Warner explained the dispute to radioinfo earlier this year, saying: “Record companies now want radio stations pay for how our listeners tune in.  We don’t pay an extra fee when people listen on a car radio, via an FM chip in a mobile phone or via radio chip in a clock radio or hifi system but we are now faced with the prospect of paying an extra and higher fee… if listeners choose to listen to their local radio station online.”

Southern Cross Austereo this week made the decision to turn streaming back on in Newcastle, Canberra and the Gold Coast however the company remain opposed to the increased fees.

To sign the petition, click here.
 

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