Dear Chairman Tillis and Ranking Member Schiff:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, representing 15 million working people across 64 affiliate unions, we are encouraged to see the Senate Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee move forward with a legislative hearing on S.326, The American Music Fairness Act (AMFA). This bipartisan legislation requires corporate broadcasters to fairly compensate artists, session musicians, and vocalists when they play their songs on AM/FM radio.
Many union members make a living recording music of all kinds. Unfortunately, in the United States, performers receive no compensation for terrestrial radio plays. This results in hundreds of millions of dollars in lost income for working people every year.
In addition to supporting working musicians, their families, and their communities, AMFA will not harm local radio. AMFA keeps fees as low as $10 per year for the smallest broadcasters and $500 per year for stations with less than $1.5 million in annual revenue. Instead, AMFA will make sure multibillion-dollar corporations pay artists their fair share, by directing the Copyright Royalty Board to set rates for performers, considering the promotional value of radio plays.
AMFA is a bipartisan and bicameral commonsense approach that corrects a decades-long wrong. We are grateful for the Subcommittee’s consideration of this important measure and urge its enactment.
Sincerely,
Jody Calemine
Director, Government Affairs