The Artists Should Pay Us! A Letter to Congress

I sent an e-mail to my Congressman, Collin Peterson, today. I thought I'd share it with you.


Dear Representative Peterson: I am writing to ask you to sign on with many other Congressmen who are expressing their opposition to the imposition of a tax on broadcasters which would go to artists whose music is played on the radio. Here in Madison, Minnesota my partner and I built KLQP-FM 26 years ago and have been providing local service to a 5-county area. Our profit margins are minimal. The record companies are suggesting a $5,000 annual fee to small stations such as ours for the privilege of playing their tunes. They should be paying us! If anyone else comes in with a three minute long commercial they pay to get it on the air. Every song we air is nothing but a three-minute commercial for the artist and the record company...why should we pay them? I have played in a variety of local bands during the past 40 years and I, as as musician and broadcaster, believe artists should be grateful to radio stations for not charging them to promote their product. Incidentally, we already pay $500 to $600 monthly to ASCAP and BMI which goes to the composers. When does this insanity end? When does greed in America come to a halt? I would appreciate some feedback from you on this issue as to where you stand on this and as to whether or not the radio industry can count on your support.

Brand Names Are Not Always Better

Harris, BE, Nautel and the other big boys make good equipment...no doubt about it....but you can stay on the air very nicely without spending the dollars they're asking for. Energy-Onix and Bext, for example make excellent equipment which will cost thousands of dollars less and you'll enjoy excellent factory support. I once called Bernie Wise, owner and CEO of Energy-Onix, at 3:00 AM with some questions and he gave me the answers. I don't get to talk with the factory folks very often because their equipment works so well. My Energy-Onix ECO-10 has been on the air for around 10 years now and it's still going strong. My Bext STL and a Bext VJ-10,000 transmitter I installed for another station are pumping out the RF day in and day out.

I would also suggest the use of "consumer" audio gear to save hundreds or thousands more. I have a dual cassette deck in my control room which I bought off eBay for $35.00 a couple of years ago. I use a Stanton dual-CD player with a price tag of about $150. Radio Shack is my favorite store.

If you want a great automation system...talk with Smarts Broadcast Systems in Emmetsburg, Iowa. I'm on my third Smartcaster now...and the only reason I've replaced an older unit was a desire to upgrade to a newer model. The price is right and the support is excellent. My second Smartcaster is still in use at another station.

Don't be sucked in by glossy magazine ads and the advice of contract engineers who think you have to buy the highest priced gear. It's just not necessary.

HD Radio Is An Idea Whose Time Has Not Come!

I'm not a fan of HD radio technology and it makes absolutely no sense in a small market...it takes a long time recover $100,000 when you're selling spots for $5.00 each. Here's one of my many comments on this issue. Be sure to click on the link for more exciting reading!

"A little feedback on HD Radio"
"Is anyone surprised to see stations shutting off their HD signals (12/29/08 RBR #250)? It's a flawed technology designed only to line the pockets of iBiquity. We didn't have to pay Edison to use the incandescent light bulb...we bought the bulbs but didn't have to pay to use them."
Maynard Meyer, Chief Engineer/GM KLQP-FM Madison, Minnesota
http://www.rbr.com/features/viewpoints/12024.html

The Environmentalists Are Not Our Friends!

Here's a response I sent to MPR a while back concerning the need for new energy sources in this country. It's not directly about broadcasting but it IS about the fuel that runs our operations day in and day out. (Or maybe we should just be on the air when the sun shines or the wind blows!)


"Get ready for expensive electricity and blackouts! Alternative energy may give everyone a fuzzy, warm, "green" feeling but it cannot provide the amount of power required by the present and future population. If no new coal and nuclear plants are built we will soon be facing high costs and energy shortages on an unprecedented scale. [MPR News: Judge delivers setback to Big Stone II project] We will not see hundreds of community based generation systems spring up because they are too expensive and inefficient. Local communities, even with government subsidies, will not be able come up with the money. Local communities can't even come up with enough money to fix potholes in the street these days. If Big Stone II is not built this is the beginning of the end of a dependable supply of electricity. Keep your candles and flashlight handy. We have a 600 year supply of coal within the borders of the United States. To abandon it is sheer stupidity. Let's spend our energy research dollars on finding ways to burn coal cleaner instead of chasing windmills. "