Has Drudge posted even one article about the pending meltdown of
internet radio?
The US copyright board last February increased royalty rates for
internet radio which will become effective on July 15. The general
consensus is that this will pretty much mean the end for internet
radio, even for the big players like Yahoo Launchcast because
advertising revenue will not be able to cover the royalty costs.
Drudge normally jumps all over issues and legislation that affects the
internet, especially license and copyright issues. Strange that he
hasn't covered this issue.
I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that his Sunday night
radio broadcast is carried by Clear Channel communications, who has a
huge radio network and who presumably welcomes the death of internet
radio.
ClearChannel has recently (for about 2 months now) blocked access to
streaming internet re-broadcast of their terrestrial radio stations to
listeners outside the USA as identified by the geographic location of
the listener's IP address.
It's ironic that even though their AM radio stations with a
news/talk/sports format do not broadcast music, they have nonetheless
claimed that the embargo on international reception of internet
broadcasts of those stations are due to music licensing issues. That
also means that Drudge's Sunday night radio show can't be heard via
internet streaming outside of the USA.
How ironic, Matt Drudge. Mr. Internet Journalist. Your voice has
been censored to listeners outside the USA. How does that make you
feel? Why is that not a newsworthy item for you to cover?
