The Performance Tax
Radio is still the first choice for music. In this era of downloading it might seem that radio takes a back seat but statistics show that the majority of Americans still turn on their favorite station to enjoy a ready-made mix of favorites because it's free.
For new artists getting radio play is vital. Established artists would tell you that radio is the engine that keeps their career running.
Congress may end up changing all that. The Performance Tax is sold as a way to compensate artists for their work each time a song is played. The reality is that this didn't come from the song writers and singers. This came from the record labels looking for yet another revenue stream which they would "share" with the artist. Radio stations already pay a considerable amount for the right to play licenced music and we write a hefty check every quarter to licencing agencies BMI and ASCAP which is the mechanism to pay the labels and the artists.
If the Performance Tax should be passed it would spell the end of music stations, particularly in smaller communities like ours.
This would affect all radio stations so this isn't just about our classic rocker KCRX or our country station KVAS (The Eagle). Regardless of which station here might be your favorite this tax will affect that station's ability to continue to offer music. It would at very least severely restrict the number of songs that could be played in the course of the day.
Our congressional delegation, with the exception of Greg Walden, are not paying attention to this issue. Listed on this page is all the contact information for our U.S. Senators and Representatives. Please take some time to write or call them and let them know you appreciate and value your favorite music station and ask them to fight the Performance Tax.
