Broadcast Topics (LPFM, NCE, etc.)

The Federal Communications Commission has released a circulation draft for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in MB Docket 21-263, which eliminates or modifies some outmoded or unnecessary broadcast regulations as well as harmonizes some rules to be consistent with other rules and previously updated international agreements. This item will be voted on or before the next FCC Open Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 13.

This is a response to a letter to Radio World by Daniel Brown, Zebra Radio who was responding to Michelle Bradley of REC's previous letter to Radio World.

This is a response to a Radio World op ed by Larry Langford, owner of WGTO(AM), Cassopolis, MI.

This response was also published in Radio World online on May 14, 2021.  The originally submitted response follows:

In Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register, the Federal Communications Commission has announced that it has received approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on various rule changes involving information collection and/or changes to forms.

REC Networks has had a chance to review the language of the Ask Musicians For Music Act of 2019 or AM-FM Act as submitted by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10).  

The intention of the bill is to put into place a method where the recording industry would obtain payment in connection with music played on terrestrial radio.  Historically, radio has been on a statutory exemption as it was perceived that radio acutally promotes music.  When you look at today's post 80-90 environment with stations so heavily narrowcasted and the lack of local talent (i.e. DJs) and more of a public expectation of "more music and less talk", especially when faced with competition by "non-radio" (streaming) services, with the exception of a small number of noncommercial and commercial stations that still care about the music, radio is not promoting music. When was the last time you heard a DJ say what label a certain song is on?  For many years now, the recording industry had relegated that task to Walmart.