Idolator

What's the best way to get the goverment off your back when they're about launch an inquiry into your business habits? Attack the other guy's business habits! With Congress breathing hot on terrestrial radio's neck over complaints that it should be paying royalties to the drummers and bassists and other non-royalty-earning band members whose songs sell their ads, "the National Association of Broadcasters asked Rep. Howard Berman (R-Calif.) to conduct a hearing on label treatment of artists as part of the lawmaker's examination of a new royalty for recordings played over the air," according to the Hollywood Reporter, with radio claiming that even though they may be doing bad stuff to working musicians they're not the only ones doing bad stuff to working musicians. But Rep. Berman ain't playing that game:

"I've been planning on holding an additional hearing on performance royalties soon after the bill is introduced," the lawmaker said. "I hope that NAB will be prepared then to present arguments on the merits of the issue at hand rather than continuing this attempt to divert attention away from the fundamental point: that broadcasters have built a multibillion-dollar industry on someone else's content without paying for it."

Berman challenged the content industry to defend a proposed change.

"It is important to note here that while artists, musicians and labels certainly don't agree on everything, they are united in their effort to fight this historical inequity," he said.

Unlike the hip-hop indecency hearings, these proceedings may actually result in visible financial changes in the way the music industry runs, which is why broadcasters are taking a "a classic tactic when your position is indefensible," according to a MusicFirst Coalition spokesman. "You try and change the subject." To which the National Association of Broadcasters replied: nyeah.

B'casters Want To Hear How Labels Treat Artists [Hollywood Reporter]