CONGRESS CONTINUES TO ADD SUPPORT FOR LOCAL RADIO FREEDOM ACT

Three members of the House of Representatives have been added as co-sponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act, a resolution that opposes “any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge” on local broadcast radio stations. The resolution now has 173 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 13 in the Senate.Adding their support for the Local Radio Freedom Act in the House are Reps. Walter Jones (NC-3), Patrick McHenry (NC-10) and House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (NJ-6).Reps. Michael Conaway (R-TX) and Gene Green (D-TX) are the principal sponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act (H. Con. Res. 17) in the House of Representatives. Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) are the principal sponsors of the companion resolution (S. Con. Res. 4) in the Senate.”Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings,” reads the Local Radio Freedom Act.The 173 House cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act include (new co-sponsors in bold):