US Internet radio needs your help

As a user of Pandora I have been receiving news that high increases in royalties to record companies threatens the Internet radio market.

Pandora is an innovative free website that allows you to customise your listening and select tracks to sample. It works by listeners downloading tracks they enjoy although there is no obligation to do so. I have bought albums based on being first attracted to them on Pandora.

Unfortunately any help can only be supplied by US readers but here is the plea:

Hi, it's Tim one more time...

Disaster looms! Yesterday a federal court denied a plea to delay the massive increase in rates webcasters must pay the record labels. This means that, absent immediate Congressional action, the new ruinous royalty rates will be going into effect on Monday threatening the future of all internet radio.

This is a very dire situation and I'm writing to ask one more time for your support. The effort you've made over the past four months has been extraordinary and has forced the rapid introduction of the bill, but the committee process has been sluggish and we need to once again remind the representatives of the urgency of this issue. This is perhaps the most important phone call you can make for us.

Please call your Congressional representatives in the Senate and ask them to force immediate action on the Internet Radio Equality Act and bring the bill to a vote. It is critical that their phones begin ringing off the hook starting early in the morning. If it's busy, please try again later.

Congressperson Scott Garrett: (202)225-4465

Senator Frank R. Lautenberg: (202) 224-3224

Senator Robert Menendez: (202) 224-4744

I'm sorry that we have to keep asking you for this - but it's our only recourse. We are no match for the legal and legislative strength of the RIAA and we need your help.

Thank you again.

Gratefully,

-Tim Westergren
(Pandora founder)