The enjoyment we derive from listening to music and all the entertainment provided on the web, which includes free and pay radio alike is being regulated with great frequency these days. It's a good thing that Dan Rather is retired because he would never know the frequency. Another round in the congressional hearings on the proposed merger between Sirius Satellite Radio and XM will be held today and yesterday there was a ruling that could affect all of us...
The Copyright Royalty Board judges (just who are these people, anyway?) have ruled that the newly proposed royalty fee hike that Internet radio broadcasters, public and private broadcasters, small startup companies, National Public Radio and major online sites like Yahoo and AOL must start paying, will go into effect despite objections by the affected folk that possible drastic cutbacks in services that are now enjoyed by 50 million people like you and I, may be made. Many webcasters say the higher royalty fees will put them out of business. The royalties are paid to record companies and artists, a good and proper thing but at whose expense??? By the way the royalties only cover digital transmissions of music and don't apply to terrestrial (or free) radio stations. Traditional airplay on radio is seen as a benefit to record labels by promoting sales of recorded music. Both digital and non-digital stations pay a separate royalty to the publishers and composers of music...
There are two exceptions to the new ruling. Webcasters will be allowed to calculate fees by average listening hours as they had been, for last year and this year. In 2008, they will pay per-song and per-listener. At this point you may be scratching your head trying to figure this all out but you won't be if listening to radio becomes as costly as watching cable-tv. This is one person who won't because I refuse to pay for listening to radio. Not now. Not ever...
There's no cost for the Video clips which can be found in the "Cashing in" and "Debuted on this date" timelines...
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1790] Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia (where many comedians have also died) from diseased lungs at the age of 84...1998] Cancer claims the life of Linda McCartney at 56..."Rock and Roll Tragedy": 1960] 21-year old rocker Eddie Cochran dies in Bath, England from injuries sustained in a car crash that seriously wounds Gene Vincent. Vincent will recover from his injuries...
Bridge or Bust: 1524] Giovanni da Verrazano reaches present day New York harbor. Verrazano says he won't leave until a bridge is built in his name...
Extra...Extra: 1704] John Campbell publishes what will eventually become the 1st successful American newspaper. He calls it the "Boston News-Letter"...
Snookered: 1875] The game "snooker" is invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain. A slow day in London politics???
Cartoon debut: 1937] Daffy Duck debuts in "Porky's Duck Hunt"...
Play Ball: 1947] Jackie Robinson bunts for his 1st major league hit in a 12-6 win over the Braves in Brooklyn...1951] Mickey Mantle goes 1 for 4 in his debut with the Yankees as the Yankees beat the Red Sox 5-0...1953] Mantle hits the 1st 'tape measure' homerun in Washington that lands 565 feet later...
Like Pete Rose, they never bet against their own teams: 1963] Paul Hornung of Green Bay and Alex Karras of Detroit are suspended from the NFL for a full season for betting on NFL games...
Mustangmania begins: 1964] Ford unveils its new Mustang...
Debuted on this date: 1965] "Help Me Rhonda" - Beach Boys. That same year they sang it on the "Andy Williams Show": http://youtube.com/watch?v=-4TbDWjqb_o ...1967] "The Joey Bishop Show" debuts on ABC-TV with Regis Philbin as the announcer. The show will run through 1969...
Cashing in: 1970] Johnny Cash performs at the White House at the invitation of Richard Nixon. The song that Johnny sang? Here's a version of it with an intro by Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings: http://youtube.com/watch?v=NBxhdewpQBI&mode=related&search= ...
I am marathoner hear me roar: 1972] The Boston Marathon allows women for the 1st time in its 76-year history...
Guilty as charged: 1969] A jury in Los Angeles convicts Sirhan B. Sirhan of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy...1993] 2 former L.A. police officers are convicted of violating the civil rights of beaten motorist Rodney King. Two other officers are acquitted...1996] Erik and Lyle Menendez are sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of their parents...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Talk about beating a dead horse, enough about people's opinions about Don Imus' firing after the fact. It's time to go on to someone or something else folks. Where was everyone when the story was developing? Enough already...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Victoria "Posh Spice" Adams Beckham (33), Jennifer Garner (35), Norman "Boomer" Esiason (46), musician Jan Hammer (59) and rock promoter/label head Don Kirshner (72)...
Timeline Countdown: 11 days until the NFL draft, 18 days until the Kentucky Derby and 41 days until Memorial Day...
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