This is understandable, meaning the public outrage over this decision. It's ironic that the internet radio stations were allowed to proliferate for the better part of a decade. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. The idea of listening to radio on the internet didn't make sense. Then.

Now that internet radio has taken off, the record companies realize that there's significant 'mass', or worthwhile numbers of listeners that are shifting away from conventional and satellite radio, or at least sample all three sources, for them to dip their beaks in the till.

On a personal note, I enjoy the streaming audio here at Ultimate Oldies. When I listen to it at work, I never know what song is coming up. They all play at random and the stream is fun to listen to throughout the day.

Folks feel upset for differing reasons. As both a fan and a broadcaster, my beef is that the conventional radio stations have dismantled their own product, yet don't want the internet radio community to access what they themselves refuse to provide. Don't think for a minute that larger broadcast companies aren't supporting this Royalty Board decision. They don't want the competition that their amateur brethren provides, and provides quite successfully may I say.

We're going to take the stream down on May 15 and see what happens for a few weeks after that. I don't really want to do it, but I'm not sitting on a high 6 figure bank account with funds set aside for the stream.

On the other hand, the weekly shows will stay. Along that line, we'll be dumping another 20-25 shows into the archives by the weekend. We're going to shift our focus to building those up and getting back to giving you more new shows each week.

By the way, Ultimate Oldies Radio remains in the Top 10 worldwide on google search when you type in 'OLDIES RADIO'. How many people come here, I have no idea. It doesn't matter. We do this because we love oldies and the people who share that passion.

We'll keep on doing it and together we'll all see how it comes out in the wash.

Thanks to each of you who post here on the forum. This site belongs more to all of us, more so than to me and Jimmy. We're just caretaking the old girl...now in it's 9th year of existence.

Ultimate Oldies Radio...your place in cyberspace for the greatest hits of the 50's, 60's and 70's!

Bob

• RE: Royalties, Radio, and Streaming Audio (as opposed to Little Baby Ducks, Old Pickup Trucks, Slow Movin' Trains, and Rain) - John 05/01/2007 13:13:00 EDT (1)