WASHINGTON, DC - Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) today introduced the Internet Radio Equality Act. According to a memo from Rep. Inslee's office, the bill will "reverse the recent [Copyright Royalty Board] decision and change the royalty rate-setting standard that applies to commercial Internet radio royalty arbitrations so that it is the same standard that applies to satellite radio. For public radio, the bill sets a royalty standard designed for noncommercial entities."

The following statement can be attributed to NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton:

"NAB is reviewing details of Rep. Inslee's bill, which would overturn the Copyright Royalty Board's disappointing decision to dramatically raise fees for companies that stream music over the Internet. We will work with Congress to craft a solution that helps ensure the survival of a fledgling audio platform."

About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association that advocates on behalf of more than 8,300 free, local radio and television stations and also broadcast networks before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Courts. Information about NAB can be found at http://www.nab.org/.