Erin McKeown on the Public Performance Right
Those who have followed FMC’s work over the past decade know that we’ve been strong supporters of establishing a public performance right for terrestrial radio. Why? Because compensating performing artists directly for the use of their work is simply the right thing to do. (Check out our Public Performance Right fact sheet to learn more.)
FMC has been consistent on this issue since the beginning: we want to see a public performance right that establishes a level playing field with digital radio services that already pay this right (satellite radio, webcasting, cable radio services, etc.), and we want it established in a way that allows community radio stations and smaller, independent commercial broadcasters to flourish.
We know a public performance right won’t magically fix everything that’s broken with broadcasting. To do that, we need comprehensive reform. This means reigning in consolidation, facilitating local ownership, expanding and protecting community radio and ending structural payola. And, of course, paying artists for the use of their work. read more
On March 3, we spent a couple of hours on Capitol Hill with one of our favorite artists, the wonderful and talented Erin McKeown. As luck had it, we were able to attend a news conference hosted by the MusicFIRST Coalition that featured Dionne Warwick and top leaders from the civil rights community, all of whom endorsed legislation for a public performance right.
We thought it would be great if Erin could weigh in on how she views the issue as a working musician. Take it away, Erin!
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Hey everybody. My name is Erin McKeown and I’m a musician. Like so many artists, I work hard at what I do, and am very lucky to have had my efforts rewarded in so many ways — from fan love to playing gigs across the country and even overseas. Yet the more I think about it, the more I realize that America is doing its performing musicians a tremendous disservice by not compensating them — at all! — when their music is played on terrestrial radio. A little thing called a public performance right would fix that.
Source: Erin McKeown on the Public Performance Right
