WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee today advanced the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R.979) by attaching it to the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act (H.R.7389), providing the radio industry with a major win even as they continue to refuse to pay the artists whose music powers their business model.
As Congress debates the future of radio, the musicFIRST Coalition is calling on lawmakers not to leave music artists behind. Big radio corporations already make nearly $14 billion each year selling ads, yet they still refuse to pay a single penny to the artists whose songs play 240 million times each year on AM radio stations. If Congress is determined to hand AM radio a federal mandate, it should also pass the American Music Fairness Act (H.R.791) so that big radio corporations start paying artists for using their music.
During today’s markup, Congressman Troy Carter and Congresswoman Nanette Barragán both spoke on the importance of passing the American Music Fairness Act:
Rep. Troy Carter (LA-02): “I also would like to say a few words about the American Music Fairness Act. The radio industry earns some $14 billion each year in advertising revenue, and the artists who drive listeners to those stations get paid zero. Zero. Zilch. That’s because of a loophole in the law that the American Music Fairness Act seeks to correct. The American Music Fairness Act would ensure that artists and music creators are paid when their songs are played on AM radio. Life is hard enough right now for people struggling to make ends meet, including those who make up our creative middle class.”
“The United States is an outlier because of this inequity, and other industrialized countries also do not pay American artists, costing them hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties every year. Artists deserve to be compensated for their creativity and their hard work. The AM Radio for Everyone Vehicle Act should be enacted alongside the American Music Fairness Act to ensure fairness and sustainability in both broadcasting and music. I hope to continue to work with this committee to make this a reality, recognizing that some of the greatest artists in our country are from my home state that have influenced music all over the world, many of which, unfortunately, are being underpaid, undercut, and disengaged from the very art that they perfected.”
Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44): “I support the AM radio for Every Vehicle Act in the auto safety bill, but there is more work we need to do to make sure that the artists and the creators on AM and FM radio stations are paid fairly. The radio industry earns $14 billion each year in advertising revenue, and the artists who drive listeners to those stations get paid $0. That’s because of a loophole in the law that the American Music Fairness Act seeks to correct.”
“The American Music Fairness Act would make sure that artists and music creators are paid when their songs are played on FM and AM radio. Life is hard enough right now for people struggling to make ends meet, and that includes the people who make up our creative middle class. The United States is an outlier here. The only other countries who do not pay artists in this way are Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. Because of this inequity, other industrialized countries also do not pay American artists, costing them hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties each year.”
“Artists deserve to be compensated for their creativity and hard work. The AM radio for Every Vehicle Act should be paired with the American Music Fairness Act to ensure fairness and sustainability in both broadcasting and music. As this legislative package goes to the floor, I urge the committee to work to address this issue, so that we can pay our artists what they deserve.”
A spokesperson for the musicFIRST Coalition also issued the following statement on today’s markup:
“Congress should not deliver a new, multi-billion-dollar federal mandate for Big Radio while ignoring the artists whose music makes radio worth listening to in the first place. If lawmakers are prepared to guarantee AM radio a permanent home in every new American car, they must also guarantee that the performers who fill those airwaves are finally paid for their work.”
“For decades, corporate radio has tried to have it both ways, making billions off artists’ creativity while paying them nothing. On its own, the AM in Every Vehicle Act will lock in that broken system and reward the very corporations that still refuse to pay artists. That is not a deal Congress should make.”
“The United States is the only democracy in the world that refuses to pay artists when their songs play on the radio. As the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill moves forward, we urge every member of Congress to insist on a simple principle: no new handouts for big radio without ensuring American artists get paid. Pass the American Music Fairness Act.”
