Author Topic: US BBM Radio Fans - Get Involved And Save Our Station (and 10,000+ More Too!)  (Read 17459 times)

Offline Phillip Dampier

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This thread has been updated!  Read below for important information about how to get involved AND news about the Internet Radio Day of Silence!

The next two weeks will make or break more than 10,000 streaming radio stations within the United States, as we near the July 15th deadline for the imposition of draconian new royalty rates forced on radio stations like Brokeback Mountain Radio.  Two pieces of legislation to restore fairness in royalties are now working their way through the House and Senate and your help in supporting these bills is absolutely crucial in getting them passed and signed into law.

You CAN make a difference!  Just a few years ago, when Internet radio faced the stubborn record companies, people who called elected officials and lobbied for fairness forced the recording industry to reach a fair settlement on the issue.  We won the battle.  Now we're facing the Copyright Royalty Tribunal, which is already under fire from members of Congress and industry players large and small.  As the press begins to cover the impending deadline, Congress is coming under pressure to move two pieces of legislation out of Congress and to the president's desk.  But bills that have the loudest support move first, which is where YOU come in.

By taking less than ten minutes and making three free phone calls, you can send a message to help get these bills passed.  Most people don't realize it but when a member of the House receives as few as a dozen calls about an issue, they pay attention!  If two dozen come in, they drop everything else and REALLY pay attention.  If every station does their part (and more than 10,000 stations are) and you make the call, we save Internet radio in the USA.

Here's how to get involved:

If you don't know who your Congressperson and two Senators are, please visit http://www3.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9738601 and enter your zip code in the box to the right.  You'll be shown who represents you.

Then, call the Capitol Switchboard toll-free at 1-800-614-2803.  When the operator answers, ask to be connected to your Congressperson's office by name.  When the office answers, you can follow this basic script:

I'd like to leave a message for Congressperson x.  I'd like to ask him/her to co-sponsor and support H.R. 2060 - The Internet Radio Equality Act.  I listen to a lot of radio stations on the Internet and now most of them are going to be forced off the air after July 15th because the Copyright board is imposing unfair royalties on these small broadcasters.  This bill will restore equity and fairness, and it's critical we get this bill passed before July 15th.  Can you pass this message along and also have the Congressperson get back to me with their position on this?

You'll likely be asked for your mailing address so you can get a mailed reply.  Sometimes offices put voicemail up for constituent comments, which is fine too.  You don't have to go into more detail than what is above.  The staff member taking your call is updating a computer with a simple count of who is for and who is against a bill and perhaps a few words why.  The whole call should take about three minutes.

Next, you have two Senators, and there is a companion bill in the Senate, S. 1353 which we also need passed before the bill can reach the president.  After you're done with your Congressperson, call the toll-free number again and ask them to connect you to your first Senator.  Then you can use basically the same script as above, modified for the Senate bill:

I'd like to leave a message for the senator, asking him/her to co-sponsor and support S. 1353 - The Internet Radio Equality Act.  I listen to a lot of radio stations on the Internet and now most of them are going to be forced off the air after July 15th because the Copyright board is imposing unfair royalties on these small broadcasters.  This bill will restore equity and fairness, and it's critical we get this bill passed before July 15th.  Can you pass this message along and also have the senator get back to me with their position on this?

Hang up with them, call the toll free number a third time and ask for your other senator, follow the same advice above, and you're finished.



Internet Radio Day of Silence

On June 26th, from 6:00am Eastern to 3:00am Eastern on the 27th, all 10,000 Live365 stations (including BBM Radio), and many Internet radio broadcasts nationwide, will go silent. Free listeners who tune into Live365.com stations will be redirected to a Day of Silence stream that offers an explanation, broadcaster testimonials and a call to action. Live365 VIP listeners will receive a Day of Silence PSA before being connected to the station's regular programming.  In addition, many radio stations online are also going silent, as will Yahoo! and Rhapsody.

This move is designed to garner support for the above legislation, remind listeners of what will happen if legislation is not passed to restore fairness to Internet radio, and to force the Copyright Tribunal back to the negotiating table.

BBM Radio will not be available to regular listeners during this period.

If the situation does not change by July 15th, Live365 is expected to cease all operations and BBM Radio 1 will be off the air until I can either find an offshore place for the station or the situation changes domestically.

« Last Edit: June 27, 2007, 10:51:51 am by Phillip Dampier »
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Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: Radio One Will Be Silent on June 26th
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2007, 10:18:06 pm »



        This is indeed sad news.  I feel like a dear and trusted friend is gravely ill.  I hope something
will happen to prevent the bad outcome.!!!!!!                                      Janice



     Beautiful mind

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: Radio One Will Be Silent on June 26th
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2007, 02:32:22 am »
heres a possibility
The Curse
   by Dwight Yoakam



Don't you sleep
Don't you have a single moment's peace
Just walk through the darkness
With fears that are deep
And don't you even sleep

Don't you smile
Don't you have happy thoughts for a while
'Til teardrops and sadness
Both go out of style
No, don't you even smile

These are the things
I wish for you
Deep in my heart
How I hope they come true

And then you'll know
When bad turns to worse
What it's like to live under love's curse

These are the things
I wish for you
Deep in my heart
How I hope they come true

And then you'll know
When bad turns to worse
What it's like to live under love's curse

Don't you try
To have a single
Thought that goes by
Without being haunted
By memories like mine
No, don't you even try...
                       



     Beautiful mind

Offline jstephens9

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Why do they keep trying to fight the Internet radio stations? It seems that there are more pressing issues in the world today than trying to end something people enjoy. I remember when this happened before. I will definitely get involved with stopping this stupid bill.

Offline Kelda

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Is there anything that non US peeps can do?
http://www.idbrass.com

Please use the following links when shopping online -It will help us raise money without costing you a penny.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/idb

http://idb.easysearch.org.uk/

Offline loneleeb3

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I've already called but I'm calling again!
This is what happens when greed, money lust and power over rule common sense!
Someone somewhere is afraid they are not going to get a big enough piece of the pie.
I urge all Bettermostians to hit the phones today and call you representatives!!!
"The biggest obstacle to most of us achieving our dreams isn't reality, it's our own fear"

"Saint Paul had his Epiphany on the road to Damascus, Mine was on Brokeback Mountain"

Offline southendmd

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I'm proud to say that my congressman, Mike Capuano (D-Boston, MA) is a co-sponsor of the internet radio equality act!!  Glad I voted for you!

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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         --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Is there anything that non US peeps can do  ??????????  /that is a good question Kelda
 
       Seems like there should be.  Because you listen too.  But I don't really see how.  Good question for Philip

     



     Beautiful mind

Offline Phillip Dampier

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Is there anything that non US peeps can do?

Unfortunately no.  This is a legislative issue right now, and elected officials will only pay attention to messages from their constituents.  They won't even pay attention to Americans living outside of their districts, so those overseas will not have any impact on them, I'm afraid.

A companion legal action has been filed in the courts to put a restraining order on the copyright groups from imposing the new royalty rate structure, as there is a concern the Senate will not take up the legislation before the 15th, so various bases are being covered as much as possible.  But we still need Americans to get on their phones.
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Offline loneleeb3

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Quote
elected officials will only pay attention to messages from their constituents.

If only that were true!
 :-\
"The biggest obstacle to most of us achieving our dreams isn't reality, it's our own fear"

"Saint Paul had his Epiphany on the road to Damascus, Mine was on Brokeback Mountain"