Webcaster Settlement Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation and urge its passage, and I do so for a reason that I believe does tie fairly into another piece of legislation. This is a piece of bipartisan legislation with Chairman Conyers. Another piece tries to deal with a greater inequity than even this one.

While Internet broadcasters or podcasters or Webcasters pay as much as half of their revenues, half of their gross revenues if they play performances of music, and NAB was cited as being a participant, let me make something very clear, Mr. Speaker. The National Association of Broadcasters has chosen to have an absolute ``burn the bridge'' attitude toward terrestrial broadcasters paying even a cent.

I join with Chairman Conyers, Mr. Berman, myself, and many others, in urging that this pattern of lowering to what we believe is a more fair rate or helping lower to what we believe is a more fair rate, in fact, flies in the face of terrestrial broadcasters continuing to say that the only fair amount to pay in the way of royalties to the music producers, the actual performers, is zero.

The public today, Mr. Speaker, when they hear this, if they hear this, will be shocked to find out that when they listen to terrestrial radio, nothing is paid to the artist.

Well, if they listen to Internet radio, actually more than half in some cases of the gross revenues of these Internet broadcasters is paid to the performers.

As Mr. Inslee said, I do believe that perhaps it is too much; that there is, in fact, a point at which, when you tax something too much, even if it's taxed to pay the performance, you may get too little of it. To that extent, we need to find an amount that balances fairly compensation for the creative artist who brought us this fine music and those who would seek to make it available to the public.

I hope that this piece of legislation will help for those doing business on the Internet and that H.R. 2344 will be quickly adopted and that it will lead to more affordable rates for the Internet.

But I cannot, in good conscience, fail to mention that these companies trying to start and promote a new industry and a service in many places in which terrestrial broadcasts may be poor or not available at all find themselves hampered while they pay half of their revenues out in royalties, competing against terrestrial broadcasters who insist on continuing to pay not a penny.

So, Mr. Speaker, I will look for this legislation to become law. I look for the other legislation behind it to be brought to the floor, fairly considered, and voted on in order to bring performance fairness.

I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source