When pigs wrestle . . .
OK, I'm having a hard time to tel who I'm laughing at more with the RIAA calling the NAB pigs because NAB doesn't want to lose its exemption from performance revenues.
http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/riaa-starts-soo-ee-generis-campaign-against-nab/
I confess, I am finding it very difficult to care about this. While I agree in principle with RIAA that it makes no sense for NAB to get by royalty free while other providers pay (based, of course, on their political power, so webcasters pay the worst rates), the persistence of payolla attests to the validity of the broadcaster argument that they convey real value and should not be required to pay a mechanical license fee. Perhaps we should give labels a "retrans" right.
http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/riaa-starts-soo-ee-generis-campaign-against-nab/
I confess, I am finding it very difficult to care about this. While I agree in principle with RIAA that it makes no sense for NAB to get by royalty free while other providers pay (based, of course, on their political power, so webcasters pay the worst rates), the persistence of payolla attests to the validity of the broadcaster argument that they convey real value and should not be required to pay a mechanical license fee. Perhaps we should give labels a "retrans" right.