IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 16 

Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2013 

Mr. CONAWAY (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. BONNER, Mr. BOUSTANY, 

Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CALVERT, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. COFFMAN, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. COLE, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. 

DENT, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. DINGELL, Mrs. ELLMERS, Mr. 

FITZPATRICK, Mr. FLEMING, Mr. FLORES, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, 

Mr. GINGREY of Georgia, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. HARPER, Mr. HASTINGS of 

Florida, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. HUELSKAMP, 

Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois, Mr. JOYCE, Mr. KLINE, Mr. 

LAMBORN, Mr. LANCE, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. LONG, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, 

Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. 

NEUGEBAUER, Mr. NUNNELEE, Mr. OLSON, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. PETRI, 

Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. POMPEO, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, 

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. 

RUNYAN, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. SCHWEIKERT, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. TERRY, Mr. 

THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. TIBERI, Mr. TURNER, Mr. VISCLOSKY, 

Mr. WALBERG, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. 

WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. WOMACK, and Mrs. MCCARTHY of New 

York) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act. 

Whereas the United States enjoys broadcasting and sound recording industries that are the envy of the world, due to 


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•HCON 16 IH 

the symbiotic relationship that has existed among these 

industries for many decades; 

Whereas for more than 80 years, Congress has rejected repeated calls by the recording industry to impose a performance fee on local radio stations for simply playing 

music on the radio and upsetting the mutually beneficial 

relationship between local radio and the recording industry; 

Whereas local radio stations provide free publicity and promotion to the recording industry and performers of music 

in the form of radio air play, interviews with performers, 

introduction of new performers, concert promotions, and 

publicity that promotes the sale of music, concert tickets, 

ring tones, music videos and associated merchandise; 

Whereas Congress found that ‘‘the sale of many sound recordings and the careers of many performers benefited 

considerably from airplay and other promotional activities 

provided by both noncommercial and advertiser-supported, free over-the-air broadcasting’’; 

Whereas local radio broadcasters provide tens of thousands of 

hours of essential local news and weather information 

during times of national emergencies and natural disasters, as well as public affairs programming, sports, and 

hundreds of millions of dollars of time for public service 

announcements and local fund raising efforts for worthy 

charitable causes, all of which are jeopardized if local 

radio stations are forced to divert revenues to pay for a 

new performance fee; 

Whereas there are many thousands of local radio stations 

that will suffer severe economic hardship if any new performance fee is imposed, as will many other small busiVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:47 Feb 15, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC16.IH HC16

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nesses that play music including bars, restaurants, retail 

establishments, sports and other entertainment venues, 

shopping centers and transportation facilities; and 

Whereas the hardship that would result from a new performance fee would hurt American businesses, and ultimately 

the American consumers who rely on local radio for news, 

weather, and entertainment; and such a performance fee 

is not justified when the current system has produced the 

most prolific and innovative broadcasting, music, and 

sound recording industries in the world: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress should not impose any new 

3 performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to 

4 the public performance of sound recordings on a local 

5 radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the6 air, or on any business for such public performance of 

7 sound recordings. 

Æ 


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