The NAB Radio Board of Directors recently voted unanimously to approve an on-air campaign to educate listeners on the significant harm of a performance fee on broadcast radio. Radio’s listeners rely on our service every day for news, traffic, weather and the music they love; they deserve to know that legislation in Congress could threaten radio’s ability to serve local communities.

The campaign includes radio spots and digital creative that will begin running immediately, calling on listeners to urge Congress to stand up for local radio by opposing legislation that would institute a performance fee on stations.

“Imposing a performance royalty on local radio – on top of the hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties it already pays – would not only mean less music for listeners, but would also kill jobs, punish up-and-coming artists, hurt small business advertisers and jeopardize the public service radio stations provide their communities every day,” said NAB Joint Board Chairman and CEO of Salem Media Group David Santrella. “We want to educate our audiences about the damage performance fee legislation would have on radio and our ability to serve tens of millions of Americans every day.”

Stations can download the spots, which are available in English and Spanish, along with additional tools at nab.org/PerformanceTaxResources. Scripts are also available for stations that wish to customize the spots.

Broadcasters strongly oppose the American Music Fairness Act, which would impose a performance royalty on local radio stations for playing music on the air. We want to make sure the listeners who rely on local radio understand how this legislation would impact their communities.

Congressional opposition to a performance fee is extremely strong. Broadcasters appreciate the more than 235 members of Congress supporting their local radio stations and listeners by cosponsoring the Local Radio Freedom Act, a congressional resolution opposing “any new performance fee, tax, royalty or other charge” on local broadcast radio stations.

Want to help? Reach out to Congress now to ask them to support local radio’s vital service in your community.