WASHINGTON (Hollywood Reporter) – The recording industry, already reeling from online music theft, is pushing the federal government to head off what executives fear is a potentially bigger piracy threat in the emerging world of digital radio.
In documents and meetings at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and in communications with other industry trade groups, the Recording Industry Assn. of America (RIAA), which represents the major U.S. labels, is attempting to convince the government of the need for copyright protection for sound recordings aired on digital radio.
While the RIAA’s campaign has been largely behind the scenes, the association will take a higher profile on the issue this week as its CEO and chairman, Mitch Bainwol, hopes to make it a focus of a hearing scheduled on copyright issues facing webcasters. The RIAA also plans to file formal comments with the commission on the need for digital radio copy protections when final comments on a range of issues surrounding the technology are due June 16.
“We’re in favor of HD radio,” Bainwol said in an interview. “It offers great benefits for consumers and everyone involved, but we’re not blind to several concerns. Someone could cherry-pick songs off a broadcast and fill up a personal library and then post it on Kazaa.”
Digital technology brings to radio signals quality similar to digital television. An FM digital radio broadcast brings listeners CD-quality sound, while digital AM radio sounds like FM. The digital radio stream also gives broadcasters the ability to multicast their signals or use them for data delivery and other services.
read more at MSNBC
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