WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the Local Radio Freedom Act – bipartisan resolution declaring Congress should not impose a new performance royalty on local radio stations.
“Arizona’s local radio stations are the lifelines of communication during emergencies such as wildfires and flooding. Congress should not hurt Arizona’s radio stations’ ability to serve their communities,” said Sinema.
Local radio stations broadcast songs from artists for free and are not required to pay a royalty fee to the artist or record labels. Artists benefit from having their music and name promoted by radio stations, and these radio stations still pay royalty fees to songwriters who do not gain the same promotional value as artists from having their songs broadcast.
Sinema’s bipartisan resolution declares that Congress should not impose a new performance royalty on local radio stations, which already face their biggest expense in the form of royalty payments to songwriters. Paying additional royalties will impact their ability to cover local news and broadcast quality content. Many Arizona radio stations also provide critical information during natural disasters, especially in rural areas.
