CMA Board Panel Discusses Legislative Priorities
Robert L. Doerschuk
June 27, 2009
CMA Board members attended a special presentation at the Hilton Nashville Downtown on April 29. The topic on the table was the state S.379, the Performance Rights Act, introduced into the United States Senate by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and under review at the time of this meeting by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The main aim of S.379 is to "grant performers of sound recordings equal rights to compensation from terrestrial broadcasters." However, conversation expanded quickly from this starting point toward issues beyond the scope of the bill that are also of paramount importance to the music industry.
Introduced by moderator Jim Free, President and CEO, The Smith-Free Group, Mitch Bainwol, Chairman and CEO, Recording Industry of America, outlined his reasons for supporting the principles of S.379, after which John David, Executive VP, Radio, National Association of Broadcasters, took the opposite view. David Israelite, President and CEO, National Music Publishers' Association, noted that two camps of copyright holders that had traditionally come into conflict - songwriters and record labels - both endorse efforts to ensure that payment revert to artists and musicians for terrestrial broadcast of songs, and expressed optimism that they would stand together as well on compensation for audio/video downloads.
"Our top legislative priority is to get that performance right established," Israelite said. "The method by which you watch the show should not matter. What's important is that the right exists."
Discussion shifted then to "Net neutrality," or the extent to whether Internet service providers (ISPs) such as AT&T should be liable for content downloaded illegally through their channels. David McClure, President and CEO, U.S. Internet Association, drew laughter by admitting that "being invited by content owners to discuss copyrights is a little like being invited to dinner by Hannibal Lecter" but then proceeded to argue it is in everyone's interest to adapt to a new producer/consumer relationship.
Harking back to the advent of cable television as a sign of viewer empowerment and even citing Burger King's vintage "Have it Your Way" slogan, McClure observed, "We used to live with mass production followed by mass advertising leading to mass consumption. That model is dead . and the music and Internet industries, together, have to figure out how to deliver to consumers what they want."
A spirited question-and-answer session delineated these positions more clearly, but in the end songwriter and CMA Board member Bob DiPiero brought participants together with a reminder that the future lay in pooling the talents and resources among CMA membership on one path toward common goals. Describing himself as "the guy who makes the little things you guys are trying to count," he said, "if you guys banded together, you would be so powerful and everybody in this room would be enriched."
Apparently it ends, as it begins, with a song. On this point, as the panel ended amidst a round of applause, there was no dissent.
2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
The main aim of S.379 is to "grant performers of sound recordings equal rights to compensation from terrestrial broadcasters." However, conversation expanded quickly from this starting point toward issues beyond the scope of the bill that are also of paramount importance to the music industry.
Introduced by moderator Jim Free, President and CEO, The Smith-Free Group, Mitch Bainwol, Chairman and CEO, Recording Industry of America, outlined his reasons for supporting the principles of S.379, after which John David, Executive VP, Radio, National Association of Broadcasters, took the opposite view. David Israelite, President and CEO, National Music Publishers' Association, noted that two camps of copyright holders that had traditionally come into conflict - songwriters and record labels - both endorse efforts to ensure that payment revert to artists and musicians for terrestrial broadcast of songs, and expressed optimism that they would stand together as well on compensation for audio/video downloads.
"Our top legislative priority is to get that performance right established," Israelite said. "The method by which you watch the show should not matter. What's important is that the right exists."
Discussion shifted then to "Net neutrality," or the extent to whether Internet service providers (ISPs) such as AT&T should be liable for content downloaded illegally through their channels. David McClure, President and CEO, U.S. Internet Association, drew laughter by admitting that "being invited by content owners to discuss copyrights is a little like being invited to dinner by Hannibal Lecter" but then proceeded to argue it is in everyone's interest to adapt to a new producer/consumer relationship.
Harking back to the advent of cable television as a sign of viewer empowerment and even citing Burger King's vintage "Have it Your Way" slogan, McClure observed, "We used to live with mass production followed by mass advertising leading to mass consumption. That model is dead . and the music and Internet industries, together, have to figure out how to deliver to consumers what they want."
A spirited question-and-answer session delineated these positions more clearly, but in the end songwriter and CMA Board member Bob DiPiero brought participants together with a reminder that the future lay in pooling the talents and resources among CMA membership on one path toward common goals. Describing himself as "the guy who makes the little things you guys are trying to count," he said, "if you guys banded together, you would be so powerful and everybody in this room would be enriched."
Apparently it ends, as it begins, with a song. On this point, as the panel ended amidst a round of applause, there was no dissent.
2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
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