Webcasters Not Getting Help From Washington

Legislation that would reduce the onerous royalties Internet radio webcasters must now pay to stream music seems to have stalled, reports Wired.com. Instead, we will now likely see laborious negotiations between publishers and stations of various sizes.

We still think predictions of the end of Internet radio have been exaggerated. But this has been an important lesson for the small but growing industry: In a business that revolves around compulsory payment structures overseen by lawmakers, it helps to have a strong relationship with lawmakers.  The good news: Internet broadcasters will likely to have a more effective voice in Washington going forward, because CBS just bought webcaster last.fm. Wired.com

Related: Internet Radio's Real Problem: Not The Music Labels