Washington Hears the AFM Roar!
March came in like a lion for the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM). I’m not talking about the weather, but instead how the AFM roared into Washington to lobby for an important piece of legislation – the Performance Rights Act.
The AFM has been fighting for a full performance right in sound recordings broadcast over AM/FM radio, and in March our activities really heated up.
It all started about a year ago when the AFM joined forces with other performing arts groups, record labels and others to form a coalition called musicFIRST. Our goal is to ensure that aspiring performers, local musicians and well-known artists are compensated for their music when it is played both today and in the future. Of all the ways we listen to music, corporate radio is the only one that receives special treatment – they have a free pass to play music, refusing to pay even a fraction of a penny to the performers that brought it to life.
Congress is now considering legislation that would change all that, the Performance Rights Act (H.R. 848 and S. 379). The measure has been reintroduced in both the House and Senate and already has bipartisan support.
AFM and the musicFIRST Coalition kicked off our campaign to see passage of the measure into law this session of Congress with a huge event on Capitol Hill. Artists and musicians, including will.i.am, Sheryl Crow, Herbie Hancock, Emmylou Harris, Patti LaBelle, Matt Maher, Los Tigres del Norte and Dionne Warwick, all went before Congress to speak in support of the act for themselves, and for artists and musicians from across the music community.
AFM Members from Across the Country Fly In to Lobby Congress
And just a few days later, AFM members from across the country converged on Washington to lobby members of Congress from their home states, asking for support of the Performance Rights Act.
We had AFM musicians from all over the country who came to Washington to make their voices heard. Their message was clear – this piece of legislation is crucial to all musicians, and now is the time for passage. The AFM will continue to urge our lawmakers to make the Performance Rights Act a top legislative priority this session.
In Solidarity,
Thomas F. Lee
International President
To make the Performance Rights Act a reality, we need your help. Please visit the link below, and select “Take Action” to contact your legislators. It only takes a few minutes to make a big difference.
http://tinyurl.com/afm-act1
