119-sconres8

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 8 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. CON. RES. 8

 Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 3, 2025

 Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Ms. Hassan, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
Cramer, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Daines, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Justice, Mr. King, Ms. 
 Murkowski, Mr. Ricketts, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
 Young, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hoeven, Ms. Lummis, and Mr. Risch) submitted 
 the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.

Whereas the United States enjoys broadcasting and sound recording industries 
 that are the envy of the world due to the mutually beneficial 
 relationship that has existed among these industries for many decades;
Whereas, for nearly a century, Congress has rejected repeated calls by the 
 recording industry to impose a performance fee on local radio stations 
 for simply playing music on the radio, as such a fee would upset the 
 mutually beneficial relationship between local radio and the recording 
 industry;
Whereas local radio stations provide free publicity and promotion to the 
 recording industry and performers of music in the form of radio airplay, 
 interviews with performers, introduction of new performers, concert 
 promotions, and publicity that promotes the sale of music, concert 
 tickets, ring tones, music videos, and associated merchandise;
Whereas committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives have 
 previously reported that ``the sale of many sound recordings and the 
 careers of many performers have benefitted considerably from airplay and 
 other promotional activities provided by both noncommercial and 
 advertiser-supported, free over-the-air broadcasting'';
Whereas local radio broadcasters provide tens of thousands of hours of essential 
 local news and weather information during times of national emergencies 
 and natural disasters, as well as public affairs programming, sports, 
 and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of time for public service 
 announcements and local fundraising efforts for worthy charitable 
 causes, all of which are jeopardized if local radio stations are forced 
 to divert revenues to pay for a new performance fee;
Whereas there are many thousands of local radio stations that will suffer severe 
 economic hardship if any new performance fee is imposed, as will many 
 other small businesses that play music, including bars, restaurants, 
 retail establishments, sports and other entertainment venues, shopping 
 centers, and transportation facilities; and
Whereas the hardship that would result from a new performance fee would hurt 
 businesses in the United States and ultimately the consumers in the 
 United States who rely on local radio for news, weather, and 
 entertainment, and such a performance fee is not justified when the 
 current system has produced the most prolific and innovative 
 broadcasting, music, and sound recording industries in the world: Now, 
 therefore, be it
 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, 
or other charge--

    (1) relating to the public performance of sound recordings 
 on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over 
 the air; or

    (2) on any business for the public performance of sound 
 recordings on a local radio station broadcast over the air.
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