Some Thoughts on the Day of Silence and Future of Internet Radio

Having participated in the Day of Silence this past Tuesday, I've uncovered some facts and figures that you may find noteworthy:

Approximately 4% of internet radio listeners took some sort of action Tuesday - calls. emails and/or correspondence with lawmakers concerning Internet radio.
According to Birch, 62% found their favorite station silent (or in our case, rebroadcasting the DOS network feed from Live365) on Tuesday.

Congress failed to act on Thursday and basically told the parties (SoundExchange/Webcasters) they needed to work it out themselves. I agree that government intervention isn't necessarily the best - or even a good option -

But wouldn't some type of neutral (translation: not financially compensated in any way from any side or party involved) third party be a possibility?

Why would SX come to the table...when they already OWN the table?

Well, I predict one of the following scenarios:

Live365 is somehow able to negotiate its own deal that allows it to continue operating, but with changes like standard listener caps being lowered, webcasters paying higher fees to broadcast, and/or listening only available by paid subscription;

A stay is issued by the court;

No one steps up to the plate, and services begin shutting down shortly after July 15.

Kudos to Rep. Jay Inslee for having the guts to stand up for webcasters. Unlike Fla. Senator Mel Martinez, who sent me a polite non-answer to my letter. Don't
expect my vote come Election time.

If Live365 does close, it's not the end of the world for me. I have other plans and ideas, the primary one being that my main source of income will not be coming from anything that is radio-related. I do plan to launch my new Part 15 station later this year. But making money from it is not in my plans. Not anymore.

No, if Live365 is gone, WJJD Internet radio will go silent. I won't put any more time, effort or funding into webcasting..not as long as SX is allowed to run loose
and do whatever they please..which is destroying a fledling business in order to support a dying one with an outmoded business model.

Independent artists will be the real losers. I can just close down and say "The heck with it." The indie artists - the ones you never hear on the radio - will be silenced. They won't get airplay. They won't get heard, or noticed. They will lose.

I keep preparing for the worst - closing down - and praying for the best - that someone with an IQ of over 29 and/or at least one active living brain cell - will
quit dilly-dallying and DO something in time to keep us on the air.