Stop The Performance Tax

Learn More & Join the Fight

For generations, Americans have loved listening to their favorite radio station. In addition to playing music, radio stations offer valued services to the local community such as emergency alerts about weather or natural disasters, raise money for charities, and sponsor local community events.

However, the major record companies want local radio stations to pay for the music we provide to listeners like yourself free of charge.

They are spending millions lobbying Congress to pass legislation that would establish a performance tax for music played over the radio. These bills, S. 379 & H.R. 848 would devastate local radio stations across the country. However, even more importantly, the bills would negatively impact communities and local listeners.

A Performance Tax will Cause Loss of Jobs and Community Programming

If the performance tax is signed into law, it will put at risk an industry employing almost 106,000 people and generating more than $6 billion for communities through free airtime for Public Service Announcements, charitable contributions and disaster relief efforts.
A Performance Tax is a “Listener’s Tax” and Will Harm Music Diversity

As free music would become a major business expense, stations will either flip to talk radio or only play the “sure thing.” The result - emerging niche artists are shut out and audiences are left wanting.
Don’t Let Washington Set the Price of Radio Music!

If the federal government imposed a performance tax or “Listener’s Tax,” there would not be a fair way to determine the price due to the varying popularity of each song, and numerous other market variables that simply cannot be accounted for from Washington, DC.
Radio Already Compensates the Recording Industry With Billions of Dollars Worth of Free Promotion.

Don’t simply take our word for it - here is what those in the music industry have to say about radio’s impact…..

“If a song’s not on the radio, it’ll never sell.”
- Mark Wright, Senior Vice President, MCA Records

“It’s worth remembering that U2, you know we broke in the United States through Boston, and through radio stations like BCN and stuff like that. We depend on radio.”
- Bono, speaking with a WHDH-TV news reporter, March 2009

Join the Fight!

Radio stations across the country are united in their opposition to this legislation – and given the anti-consumer effects it will have if it’s enacted, we hope that you’ll join us and oppose it too.

By signing our petition, together we will send a strong message to Members of Congress that they should strengthen, not destroy radio’s relationship with local listeners and local communities.

Politicians in Washington need to hear from you, the voter. You can contact your Senators and Representatives directly by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. To find out who your Senators and Representatives are, click here. Tell them to oppose the performance tax by co-sponsoring the “Supporting Local Radio Freedom Act”. Call them today!

To learn even more about the performance tax, and its impact on radio, listeners like yourself, and your local community, please visit http://www.freeradioalliance.org/