Blessings

Live 365 has directed iTunes to remove many gospel stations from their listing.

This change come about due to a decision about a year ago to only allow Professional and X5000 stations to be listed on outside directories.

This decision was also made due to the recent Copy Right Royalty Board’s decision to apply significantly higher rates for internet radio stations from 2006 to 2010.  Live 365 could be slapped with up to 5 million more dollars in fees per year. The CRB is making this retroactive back to Jan. 2006.  Live 365 is filing a petition for a rehearing of the new rates to the CRB.

As a fellow DJ from Louisiana stated. ‘This could be the death of the small stations on the internet and would be just fine for the big boys such as AOL, Yahoo, Microsoft, Clear Channel, etc.” “Unfortunately, none of those people play very much music recorded by independent artist or music recorded by the smaller recording companies which makes that a double whammy decision.”  The brother is right.  This could be the death of the little man.

The big man is trying to squeeze the little man out.  Even in Southern Gospel music, folks money talks.  This will force independent artist off of the Internet Radio, or it will force them to spend big money to get on big labels. 

What can we do?  Send a letter or email to your Congressman expressing your concerns about this matter.   Also visit www.live365.com.   They give you a lot of ideas about what you can do to possibly help reverse this decision.  

Some of you big folks in the industry, forget money for right now and help you little Christian Brother or Sister out.  We are in it for the Lord, not money. 

Until Next Time

Betty