I have a 5-7 page paper due next month on the Radio Performance Rights Act.?
Question by raijin_ragnarok: I have a 5-7 page paper due next month on the Radio Performance Rights Act.?
I’ve got time, but I don’t know where to start. I looked it over and it looks boring. Can someone give me some motivation so I actually feel like writing it? I’d also like some sources I can use for my paper.
Here’s the assignment.
Introduction
Terrestrial Radio Broadcasters, defined as those stations broadcasting over the AM and FM bands,
have always had to pay composers of music, through ASCAP and BMI, a blanket licensing fee
(royalties) for playing music on their stations. Copyright law has always exempted radio from paying a
similar licensing fee for the performance, the recorded music, these royalties that would go to the
recording company and performer.
In February 2009, the House of Representatives introduced the Radio Performance Rights Act (H.R.
848, Sponsor Rep. John Conyers, D-MI) which amends federal copyright law to grant performers of
sound recording equal rights to compensation from terrestrial radio broadcasters by establishing a flat
annual fee (blanket license). The bill itself can be found online.
Performing Artists and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) are for the Performance
Rights Act and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is against it. The bill is now pending
in the House of Representatives.
Perform research examining both sides of the issue. Your research will show there is two sides to this
issue and interested parties are deeply divided. After, performing your research and collecting
information, take a stand on this controversial issue in the form of a thesis for your paper and then
build an argument for or against the Performance Rights Act.
Examine the history exploring why Congress exempted the radio industry from paying these fees in the
first place and why the change now, looking closely at what factors caused this bill to be introduced.
Are there other forms of radio that pay performance royalties? There are two sides to this issue. Build
your argument based on good quality research and the facts.
Assignment
Write a 5-7 page research essay (not including any Title or Works Cited page) and argue your position
in favor or against the Radio Performance Rights Act. Your thesis statement must be in the first
paragraph. The paper must be in MLA format and therefore it should have inline citations and a Works
Cited page. Briefly explain why the radio industry was exempted from paying these fees in the first
place and what has changed to cause this bill to be introduced now. Spend the rest of the paper
defending your position and proving your thesis.
The paper must be in Times New Roman Font, double spaced with 1-inch margins and can either be
dropped off in the classroom on December 16 at 11am or can be placed in the drop box on the
Blackboard Home Page as an attachment in either .doc, .docx, .rtf or .pdf format.
Note: Research must be from reputable sources avoiding Wikipedia and the like.
If anyone can point me in the direction of some good sources I’d be forever grateful. If I can get this out of the way it’s smooth sailing for the rest of the quint.
Thanks all. I really have nowhere to start.
The law website didn’t turn anything up : (
Best answer:
Answer by STEVEN F
NO, none of us can provide you motivation. If the prospect of failing the assignment and the opportunity to learn are not enough, NOTHING we say here will motivate you.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!