Today's Date: May 1, 2024
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2024 Net Earnings of $194 Million, Adjusted EBITDA of $459 Million   •   Introducing The RUNWAY ROOTED Fund: A National Reparative Finance Fund Empowering Black Communities   •   VerticalScope Partners with The Trade Desk to Integrate OpenPass and OpenPath   •   BarkleyOKRP Acquires Performance Media and Marketing Technology Company Adlucent   •   Farmers Edge and Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance Partner to Enhance Hail Business Intelligence with InsurTech Tools   •   Behind the Curtain of the Grad Crisis-Line: 877-GRAD-HLP   •   The Charismatic Episcopal Church of North America to hold their National Convocation in Orlando   •   Momcozy Announces Collaboration with 1 Natural Way To Provide Accessible Breastfeeding Solutions For New Mothers   •   University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, a National Research University, Selects YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform to R   •   Paradox Public Relations Partners With Art Shield to Promote Next Generation of Ukrainian Artists   •   Ouro Announces $275,000 Gift to 2024 State Teachers of the Year in Multi-Year, Multi-Million Dollar Pledge   •   Fisk University Announces Deborah Roberts and Al Roker as Co-Speakers for Historic 150th Commencement Ceremony   •   National Association of Black County Officials President, Miami-Dade Commissioner Kionne McGhee, Extends Warm Welcome to Fulton   •   The New Terminal One at JFK Celebrates Historic MWBE Participation During National Small Business Week   •   Parkland Reports 2024 First Quarter Results   •   Mrs. Laura Diez Barroso and Mr. Carlos Laviada Receive the Prestigious Jeffrey Davidow Good Neighbor Award   •   In Honor of Military Appreciation Month: A Veteran's Journey of Purpose and Leadership - Transitioning from Military Service to   •   UGI Reports Fiscal 2024 Second Quarter Results, Concludes Strategic Review and Affirms Fiscal 2024 Guidance   •   Emergency Departments Frequently Miss Signs of Epilepsy in Children   •   NASA Postdoctoral Program seeks early career and senior scientists for prestigious fellowships at its locations across the U.S.
Bookmark and Share

Minority Churches Joins Growing Opposition To Performance Tax

 WASHINGTON - Opposition to the Performance Rights Act is reaching new heights, especially within the minority and religious broadcasting communities. Today the National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a coalition of 34,000 representing church- and minority-owned radio broadcasters, called on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to reject the Performance Rights Act, also known as the performance tax.

 

If passed, the performance tax would force local radio stations to pay the record labels an extra fee to play songs on the radio. NBCI explained, in terms of its membership, how the performance tax will make an already tenuous situation worse: “Only four percent of radio stations are owned by African-Americans, and this performance royalties act will make it even more difficult for minorities and minority churches to maintain their current stations and/or acquire broadcast properties in the future.”

The letter continues: “We cannot ignore the important role local radio plays in helping to shape the message to and image of the African-American community. If African-American radio ownership fails, then that voice is gone for good.”

Free Radio Alliance applauded NBCI’s letter and shares in the sentiments that the harmful effects of the performance tax on minority-owned radio stations far outweigh any perceived burden on record companies. Free Radio Alliance spokeswoman Peggy Binzel stated, “Local African-American and religious radio stations are already experiencing significant declining revenues. What good will it do record labels if there are no stations left to play their music? More importantly, what will happen to the people in those communities that rely on these stations for their news, information and ministry?” Binzel continued, “The African-American and religious community are already underrepresented on the airwaves. Under the record labels’ proposal, they could go from underrepresented to extinct. This is bad policy and the opposite of what we need to increase minority ownership and programming.”

The Free Radio Alliance is a coalition of people and more than 500 organizations whose mission is to keep radio and other businesses that play recorded music strong for communities across the nation by opposing a performance tax. For more information on the FRA, please visit www.freeradioalliance.org.

Free Radio Alliance
Kelsey, 202-448-5200
kelsey@freeradioalliance.org






Back to top
| Back to home page
Video

White House Live Stream
LIVE VIDEO EVERY SATURDAY
alsharpton Rev. Al Sharpton
9 to 11 am EST
jjackson Rev. Jesse Jackson
10 to noon CST


Video

LIVE BROADCASTS
Sounds Make the News ®
WAOK-Urban
Atlanta - WAOK-Urban
KPFA-Progressive
Berkley / San Francisco - KPFA-Progressive
WVON-Urban
Chicago - WVON-Urban
KJLH - Urban
Los Angeles - KJLH - Urban
WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
New York - WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
WADO-Spanish
New York - WADO-Spanish
WBAI - Progressive
New York - WBAI - Progressive
WOL-Urban
Washington - WOL-Urban

Listen to United Natiosns News