Quick Action

Contact Congress

MENU

MusicFIRST Announces Chris Israel as Executive Director

10 January 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Adam Temple

(202) 400-2610
temple@jdafrontline.com

Washington, D.C. (January 10, 2017) – The Executive Committee of the musicFIRST Coalition announced today the appointment of Chris Israel as the Coalition’s Executive Director. Mr. Israel will begin serving in this capacity for musicFIRST – a broad-based coalition working to ensure music creators get fair pay for their work, on AM/FM and wherever and however it is played – immediately.

“MusicFIRST has established itself as an unparalleled advocate for artists’ rights and I’m honored to serve in this capacity,” Israel said. “All creators should be compensated fairly for their work, on all platforms and technologies, whenever their music is used.  This isn’t the case today, and musicFIRST is more committed than ever to working with Congress and the new Administration to address the flaws in our copyright law that are unfortunately stacking the deck against artists.”

Israel brings to musicFIRST extensive experience in government and working directly with U.S. artists and copyright owners. His government service includes work on Capitol Hill and nearly seven years in senior leadership roles during the Bush Administration. Israel was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy at the Commerce Department by President Bush in 2001 and served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Commerce Secretaries Donald L. Evans and Carlos Gutierrez from 2003 to 2005. 


In 2005, Israel was appointed to be the first U.S. Coordinator for International Intellectual Property Enforcement by President Bush. In this role, he was responsible for coordinating and leveraging the resources of the U.S. government to protect American intellectual property at home and abroad. He was frequently called upon to testify before Congress and led U.S. delegations to key countries including China, India, Russia, Japan and the EU. He also represented the U.S. in global fora including WIPO, G8 and the OECD.

Since leaving government, he has worked directly with artists, businesses and policy makers committed to promoting a strong copyright system that respects and rewards American creators.

Since 2007, musicFIRST has been working to ensure music creators get fair pay for their work everywhere it is played. The group is a national coalition representing artists and record labels, from New York to Nashville, New Orleans to L.A. A full list of coalition members can be found here.

Get Involved!

Contact your Members of Congress and tell them you stand against Big Radio.

Contact congress
Back to Latest

RECENT POSTS

Press Release
Automakers, Tech Innovators Call on Congress to Pair...
June 03, 2025
Headlines Notable Article
TODAY Show: Radio stations may soon have to pay arti...
February 20, 2025
Headlines Press Release
Boyz II Men Deliver Letter Signed By More Than 300 M...
February 13, 2025
Headlines Press Release
As Music World Celebrates Grammys, Bipartisan Leader...
February 03, 2025
Press Release
Statement from musicFIRST Coalition on Sam Moore
January 11, 2025
Blog
Congress Rejected AM Radio Mandate Without Royalties...
December 20, 2024
Press Release
Randy Travis, Michael Huppe to Testify on Capitol Hill
June 20, 2024
Press Release
musicFIRST Petition Leads FCC to Reinstate Radio Non...
June 11, 2024
Press Release
iHeartMedia’s Earnings Hypocrisy Continues
February 29, 2024
Stay in the Loop

GET THE LATEST IN YOUR INBOX


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
By submitting you agree to our Terms & Conditions