The CRB and RIAA Need to T-Up, STAT!

The Copyright Royalties Board and the Recording Industry Association of America have teamed up to make my mornings and workdays totally lame. This is because they're trying to make public radio broadcasters pay webcasting royalties commensurate with those of the overstuffed, money-drunk commercial broadcasters that play things like James Blunt and Blue October. Read/weep.

It's messy and complicated, but the first article estimates that a small web station that now pays $10,000 in royalties a year will have to pay $700,000 and more under the CRB's draconian policy. I haven't looked into the revenue streams of my favorite stations lately, but I figure there's a good chance that KCRW , WFUV and la-la can't afford this, not to mention companies like Pandora, who would have to pay for each webstream created by its 7 million registered users, each of whom can create up to 100 (I have 10).

Today is the gently disruptive protest in support of the Internet Radio Equality Act. Please help. As for you, CRB and RIAA, tighten your greedy, lame-ass shit up or I will find a way to lock you in a room with a radio that only plays contemporary hits from the 80s, 90s, and today, and see how you like it.