Posted by
OB Busch on Thursday, July 09, 2009 4:10:48 PM
It’s there in the background of your life. At work, in your car, in the store.
Music is a constant background that we barely notice. Most of that music
comes from Radio Stations.A bill, HR848, has been introduced that would add a
performance tax to music played by radio stations. At present the Radio Industry
pays royalties to 2 organizations, BMI and ASCAP.
BMI and ASCAP distribute money to the composers of the music via the record
companies. The record companies have agreements to also compensate
performers. This has worked well for most of radio’s history. The record
companies were caught napping by Napster and the money bleed began.
Unable to quickly or adequately adjust to the realities of the Internet,
the record companies are crying to congress to pass a law.
News Here and here. (National Association of Broadcasters)
The liberals see an opportunity here that trumps the fairness doctrine.
The stereotype for a government take over of the radio waves is a constant helping
of martial music and propaganda. The reality is much more sinister.
The scenario would be much like the banks and the car companies. As the
performance tax pinches an already tight industry, stations would go out of
business. Soon this would affect a major player in the industry, a network of
stations ‘too big to fail’. The white knight of government comes to the rescue
following the precedents established with the banking and car industries.
You will still have your ‘Classic Rock’, ‘Lite-FM’, ‘Eagle’, ‘Hog’, and ‘Mancow’,
in between you will be treated to government sponsored messages.
Approved advertisers, those that tow the liberal and environmental line, will get
preferred rates.
Oh, and Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, and Belling?
They will be heard on the internet for a time.
The Clown from Sector M
Court appointed Senator Al Franken tooks his seat yesterday as one of the
2 Senators from the state of Minnesota. He did not win the election.
The initial results on Election Day showed Republican candidate Norm Coleman
with a 725 vote lead. A recall was instituted removing the voter from the process
and introducing a procedure that somehow discerned what the voters really
wanted. As this process went forward there were several court challenges by
both sides. In the end it was the ability to manipulate the legal system that
won the day.
So that brings us to Al Franken as a United States Senator.
(I know, reading that sentence brings chills, nausea, and despair.
Call your physician if symptoms last more than 6 years)
The author of a page turner titled “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot”, Al Franken,
will now represent the hapless voters of Minnesota. As a host on Air America
he was dishonest, hateful and vile. Bush bashing and other personal politics
was his forte. (Some say he was once a comedian but they cannot produce
anything funny that Franken has done.)
Franken will be on the Senate Judiciary Committee which does the initial
interviews of potential Supreme Court candidates.
Stand by for solid entertainment.
Quote of the Year Candidate
From an interview to be published Sunday July 12th in the
New York Times Magazine.
"Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided,
there was concern about population growth and particularly
growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of."
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,