Music

NEW YORK, NY June 25, 2007 —On Tuesday, June 26, WNYC will join with other internet radio providers – including Yahoo!, Pandora.com, Rhapsody, and KCRW.org -- to observe a “Day of Silence,” to register our disagreement with a recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board to significantly increase royalty rates for streaming music. WNYC2, our 24 hour classical music stream, will “go silent” on June 26 from 12 midnight – 11:59pm.

Should the CRB’s decision take effect, as it is expected to do on July 15, internet radio industry-wide will be seriously impacted. But, public radio providers will be particularly affected, as our non-profit status will no longer factor into our royalty rates. WNYC and other public broadcasters will now be subjected to the increased commercial rates.

Additionally, CRB will charge for every song listened to by every listener, and the new rates will be retroactive for 17 months.

Over time, these unforeseen and disproportionately high rate hikes will imperil WNYC2 and the web streaming of Evening and Overnight Music, and thwart plans for future music streams.

You can learn more about the CRB’s decision and the Day of Silence at www.kurthanson.com/dos. This site also provides information about the Internet Radio Equality Act, which is currently under consideration in both the House and Senate.

We encourage WNYC listeners and supporters to learn the facts about the CRB’s decision and the efforts being made to revise it, and to make your opinion about the matter known to your Congressional representatives.