BY DANIEL MCSWAIN
Support for the Internet Radio Equality Act (H.R. 2060) continues to grow, with 52 co-sponsors now signed on to bill and new Representatives joining daily.

In the few days since the bill was introduced, H.R. 2060 has already garnered 12% of Representatives in the House as co-sponsors.

H.R. 2060, originally sponsored by Reps. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL), has gained wide bipartisan backing, as well as support from Representatives sitting on "key" House committees, such as Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, and Small Business.

Still, a lot of very important work remains to be done.

Keep the Congressional calls coming
With momentum building in Congress, it is imperative that webcasters and listeners continue to call their Representatives if they have not yet signed on as co-sponsors.

Webcasters can remind their listeners that contacting their Representatives is vital, and reiterate that the resources available at SaveNetRadio.org provide all of the information necessary for calling your member of Congress.

Participants in last Tuesday's "Hill walk" [previous RAIN coverage here] should check the list below to confirm that those Representatives who they contacted while in Washington D.C. have signed on to co-sponsor H.R. 2060.

If the Representative has signed on, you could simply call or write to express your thanks for their support. If they have not signed on, a follow-up call to remind them of this pressing issue, as well as answer any potential questions their office may have, is strongly advised and could be effective in garnering even more support for the bill.

Webcasters, artists can team up for press
With an analog to H.R. 2060 due to hit the Senate this week, now is also the time for webcasters, artists, label executives and listeners to make their important voices heard via local and national media. Writing an articulate and compelling op-ed piece to newspapers and other media can be an extremely influential way to reach wide audiences who could be sympathetic to webcasters' fight. (To reinforce the fact that this issue effects a large number of businesses and careers, one idea could be to team up with a local musician or record label and draft an op-ed together, one that represents arguments both from the content creators and content distributors and shows artists and webcasters standing together in support of the Internet Radio Equality Act.)

The chart below is a list of those Representatives actively co-sponsoring H.R. 2060, and includes state, district, party, tenure, and (if applicable) membership in "key" House committees. The most recently added co-sponsors are highlighted in blue in the chart.

Bill sponsors
	Representative Jay Inslee Washington's 1st District 6th-term Democrat Key committee(s): Energy and Commerce
	Representative Donald A. Manzullo Illinois's 16th District 8th-term Republican

Co-sponsors
	Representative Todd Akin Missouri's 2nd District 3rd-term Republican Key committee(s): Small Business
	Representative Michael Arcuri New York's 24th District 1st-term Democrat
	Representative Tammy Baldwin Wisconsin's 2nd District 5th-term Democrat Key committee(s): Energy and Commerce; Judiciary
	Representative Roscoe Bartlett Maryland's 6th District 8th-term Republican Key committee(s): Small Business
	Representative Earl Blumenauer Oregon's 3rd District 7th-term Democrat
	Representative Rick Boucher Virginia's 9th District 13th-term Democrat Key committee(s): Energy and Commerce; Judiciary
	Representative Corrine Brown Florida's 3rd District 8th-term Democrat
	Representative Vern Buchanan Florida's 13th District 1st-term Republican Key committee(s): Small Business
	Representative Michael Capuano Massachusetts' 8th District 5th-term Democrat
	Representative Ben Chandler Kentucky's 6th District 2nd-term Democrat
	Representative Stephen I. Cohen Tennessee's 9th District 1st-term Democrat Key committee(s): Judiciary
	Representative Joseph Courtney Connecticut's 2nd District 1st-term Democrat
	Representative Barbara Cubin Wyoming (at-large) 7th-term Republican Key committee(s): Energy and Commerce
	Representative Elijah Cummings Maryland's 7th District 6th-term Democrat
	Representative Susan A. Davis California's 53rd District 4th-term Democrat
	Representative Peter A. DeFazio Oregon's 4th District 11th-term Democrat
	Representative Keith M. Ellison Minnesota's 5th District 1st-term Democrat Key committee(s): Judiciary
	Representative Brad Ellsworth Indiana's 8th District 1st-term Democrat Key committee(s): Small Business
	Representative Anna Eshoo California's 14th District 7th-term Democrat Key committee(s): Energy and Commerce
	Representative Sam Farr California's 17th District 8th-term Democrat
	Representative Bob Filner California's 51st District 8th-term Democrat
	Res. Com. Luis Fortuno Puerto Rico (at-large) 1st-term Republican
	Representative Virginia Foxx North Carolina's 5th District 2nd-term Republican
	Representative Al Green Texas's 9th District 1st-term Democrat
	Representative Raul M. Grijalva Arizona's 7th District 3rd-term Democrat Key committee(s): Small Business
	Representative Luis V. Gutierrez Illinois' 4th District 8th-term Democrat Key committee(s): Judiciary
	Representative Brian M. Higgins New York's 27th District 2nd-term Democrat
	Representative Baron Hill Indiana's 9th District 4th-term Democrat Key committee(s): Energy and Commerce
	Representative Maurice Hinchey New York's 22nd District 8th-term Democrat
	Representative Michael M. Honda California's 15th District 4th-term Democrat
	Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. Illinois' 2nd District 7th-term Democrat
	Representative Dale E. Kildee Michigan's 5th District 16th-term Democrat
	Representative Mark S. Kirk Illinois' 10th District 4th-term Republican
	Representative John Lewis Georgia's 5th District 11th-term Democrat
	Representative Jim McDermott Washington's 7th District 10th-term Democrat
	Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers Washington's 5th District 2nd-term Republican
	Representative Michael H. Michaud Maine's 2nd District 3rd-term Democrat Key committee(s): Small Business
	Representative James P. Moran Virginia's 8th District 9th-term Democrat
	Representative John Olver Massachusetts's 1st District 8th-term Democrat
	Representative Ron E. Paul Texas' 14th District 10th-term Republican
	Representative David E. Price North Carolina's 4th District 10th-term Democrat
	Representative Dave Reichert Washington's 8th District 2nd-term Republican
	Representative Tim Ryan Ohio's 17th District 3rd-term Democrat
	Representative John Salazar Colorado's 3rd District 1st-term Democrat
	Representative Carol Shea-Porter New Hampshire's 1st District 1st-term Democrat
	Representative John M. Spratt, Jr. South Carolina's 5th District 13th-term Democrat
	Representative Lee Terry Nebraska's 2nd District 5th-term Republican Key committee(s): Energy and Commerce
	Representative Mike Thompson California's 1st District 4th-term Democrat
	Representative Tim Walz Minnesota's 1st District 1st-term Democrat
	Representative Lynn Woolsey California's 6th District 8th-term Democrat

From a press release: "Jazz legends, artists and educators joined radio giant WWOZ yesterday in support of a national effort to save Internet radio from a recent royalty rate increase that would bankrupt the industry. 

"In a letter to House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, famed clarinet wizard Dr. Michael White, legendary trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, jazz phenom “Trombone Shorty”, Kidd Jordan and more than a dozen of the most influential voices in American Jazz called on Congress to take action and preserve Internet radio for the future of Jazz music. 

“'As working musicians who depend on Internet radio to reach our fans and to make new ones, we are extremely concerned that the recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) will close the door to what has become an essential part of our work.  Internet radio is one of the precious few outlets we have to reach Jazz audiences and build new ones.  If Internet radio dies, the future of Jazz could die with it,' the Jazz legends wrote in a letter addressed to Chairman Conyers (pictured left)...

"New Orleans powerhouse radio station WWOZ’s General Manager, David Freedman said 'the massive new royalty fees directly affect New Orleans artists and musicians throughout the country that depend on Internet radio for air play and to reach new fans... The marginalization or complete shutdown of our streaming services, which is the emerging environment,  is tantamount to choking off an important voice of New Orleans culture and rendering our volunteer powered effort irrelevant,'...

"The list of artists calling on Chairman Conyers to support H.R. 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act, which would vacate the CRB royalty rate increase and establish a new standard for setting Internet radio royalty rates, includes the following:

new media

"...[T]he shoes will be filled by Jack Isquith, currently Executive Director of Music Industry Relations at AOL Music and the AOL Radio Network.  Isquith, who has played a prominent role within a number of AOL Music properties, will report directly to Warner Bros. Records chairman and chief executive Tom Whalley.  'Tom needs a superstar in the seat,' explained one executive close to the matter."

Read the entire article at Digital Music News.