What are the RIAA fees going to mean to Wazee?

[don2718]

Now............back to the original topic. I haven't seen the exact new pricing systems that are going into place, but I think everyone has forgotten that the cost of bandwidth is still going to be way higher than the cost of paying Soundscan, BMI, ASCAP, etc...

Just to allow a maximum of 1000 listeners at once with 128kbit audio means you need about 125 megabit upload capacity which could cost 10's of thousands of dollars per month.

Like I said before, I don't know the new rates, but if I recall correctly, the old rates were about $0.01 per song, per every hundred listeners....you do the math.

Ok.  I'm doing some math.  20 songs / hour (estimated) * 24 hours / day (exact) = 480.  1000 listeners at once (maximum, right?) * 0.01 dollars per song per listener.  I get $4800 per day or for an entire month, $144 K!!!!

So I'm confused... which is more?  Seriously, I've been staying out of this waiting for some hard facts about this.  Fees are one thing, and maybe my math doesn't reflect how the fees are actually assessed.  I wouldn't mind an explanation that got into some detail and enlighted me as to what the actual costs are for running this station.  Were I the owner, I probably would post this information in the hopes that it would encourage more donations, which it probably would in my case. 

But, I'm particularly concerned with the really big question:

• Will this kill Wazee?

[snobum]

I dont think your math is quite right.  These are the rates I found:

2006 - $.0008 per performance
2007 - $.0011 per performance
2008 - $.0014 per performance
2009 - $.0018 per performance
2010 - $.0019 per performance

Meaning for 1000 listeners all day everyday would cost:
2007: $192720 for the year
2010: $332880 for the year

Not only are the rates a huge increase to begin with, but it's a 100% increase over just 4 years.  What other industry has that type of inflation?

BTW, I found the numbers here:  http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/archives/internet-radio-copyright-royalty-board-releases-decision-rates-are-going-up-significantly.html


A bill in congress has been introduced.  See how you can help at http://www.savenetradio.org/

[I.T.Chick]

I believe that this is part of a bigger plan to limit free speech and expression on the internet.  Money is their biggest weapon in that battle.  Just my opinion, of course.

[snedro]

I'm thinking it's just a way for labels and artists alike to get back at general population for file sharing because they can't control it. Trying to earn another dime on a different spectrum which i think will only have the opposite effect on their revenue. Many bands wouldn't have seen the light of day without net radio.

[Ballkick]

The Fat Pig in a suit laughs,... all the way to the bank.

[ivanlc]

... So what we  really need is a word from the man Howard as to what's gonna happen to Wazee wrt to the RIAA's efforts to silence web radio stations except for those from which they profit directly (I read somewhere that Yahoo's radio service was exempt from the fees. Go figure).

I rotate stations occasionally to see what's playing elsewhere, and the one I'm currently listening to, Channel X, 1.FM has campaigns going to get people to mail/call congress about the whole thing, as they won't be able to afford the fees and so will have to shut down. This scares me as Wazee is my home and somewhere I always come back to. If I've suddenly got no home, this will be... well, let's just say, it would be bad, to be euphemistic.

Of course, I stream from the UK (*detest* UK pop music), and so have no representative in congress to appeal to, so I guess I'm screwed when the s*** hits the fan.

So what say ye Howard? How's the future of Wazee looking?

i.

I dont think your math is quite right.  These are the rates I found:

2006 - $.0008 per performance
2007 - $.0011 per performance
2008 - $.0014 per performance
2009 - $.0018 per performance
2010 - $.0019 per performance

Meaning for 1000 listeners all day everyday would cost:
2007: $192720 for the year
2010: $332880 for the year

Not only are the rates a huge increase to begin with, but it's a 100% increase over just 4 years.  What other industry has that type of inflation?

BTW, I found the numbers here:  http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/archives/internet-radio-copyright-royalty-board-releases-decision-rates-are-going-up-significantly.html


A bill in congress has been introduced.  See how you can help at http://www.savenetradio.org/

[don2718]

So what say ye Howard? How's the future of Wazee looking?

Thank you for echoing my concerns.  I too would like to hear from "the man" himself...