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March 26, 2007
Rank and File
by Nova Stubbs, insurgent49

Save the Music

     My husband and I don’t always enjoy the same type of music. In other words, I like good music and he enjoys music that makes you feel as though you should go out and beat up a bunch of helpless nuns. He has described my tastes as follows: sensitive whiny EMO types singing about how they want to slit their wrists kind of music.

     We do, however, agree on music sometimes. Most evenings, the sounds that fill our living room come from streaming an online radio station called SomaFM (www.somafm.com).

    SomaFM has eleven stations to choose from, and most often my husband and I listen to Indie Pop Rocks. All SomaFM stations are commercial free, underground, and based in San Francisco.  It’s really nice not to be bombarded and constantly disturbed by commercials. SomaFM is supported by its broad base of listeners, and is one of the more popular web radio stations out there. They are not a bunch of greedy corporate fucks out to make millions, because there really isn’t big money in this industry.

     SomaFM started as a pirate radio station in 1999, and was broadcast by founder Rusty Hodge. People out there loved the commercial free music, and because of it’s growing popularity, Hodge decided to transform his station into an online web-based station in 2000. With little resources, he began broadcasting from his garage.

     I applaud Hodge’s and his associate’s efforts. They are completely independent and that gives me hope for a nation ran by corporations, it’s like they are “sticking it to the man,” in a roundabout way. They aren’t really hurting anyone except maybe commercially supported competitors.

     My husband and I only discovered SomaFM last summer, and are pleased as punch to have found them. But, alas, there are those out there attempting to destroy our beloved internet-based stations.

    The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is angry because they do not feel that artists are receiving the proper royalties from web based radio stations. In 2002, RIAA first attacked these web-based stations, and won. Many online stations were forced off the air temporarily because they could not afford the royalty fees implemented by a new copyright law. The RIAA, who, by the way, are the same group of corporations that run the American music industry, were pleased as their profits increased. They of course did not care that independent commercial free stations were dying off slowly, and why would they, when all they really care about is profits anyway?
 
    Rusty Hodge is not one to just lay down and let this kind of thing happen. Hodge initiated a grass roots letter writing campaign, which he presented to Congress months later. It was a success and the Small Broadcasters Amendment Act was established, and stations like SomaFM were able to negotiate a reasonable rate with the RIAA. The RIAA was satiated with this agreement until a few days ago, when their corporate hunger took over again.

    Forget that SomaFM, and stations like it, ultimately promotes artists by playing their songs on an extremely popular station. And that listeners do go out and purchase CD’s of musicians that they hear. That just isn’t enough for old RIAA, who keep 50% of the royalties while the other half goes to the artists.
 
 As of a few days ago, the Royalties Board of the RIAA decided to double the fees from the original negotiations in 2002. Sure, increases in fees are often necessary, but doubling them is just greedy, and will unfortunately hurt and maybe destroy many independent online stations.

    For Christ’s sake, there is no big money to be had in commercial free online stations … only good music. The same good music that has ironically helped build yet another corporate empire of greed that owns artists and airwaves.
 

 
   

     

      Nova Stubbs is a freelance writer and activist, and is co-founder of Insurgent49. Nova resides in an undisclosed location in downtown Anchorage and may be contacted at nova@insurgent49.com.

     'Rank and File' appears on insurgent49.com every Monday.
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in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership.