Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/508104
SAGAFTRA.org | Spring 2015 | SAG-AFTRA 15 SAG-AFTRA SUPPORTS FAIR PLAY FAIR PAY S AG-AFTRA is supporting a major new initiative to ensure artists are fairly paid when their songs are played on the radio. Currently, there are illogical and inconsistent royalty rates for recording artists, musicians and vocalists on different radio platforms. There is one payment structure for Internet radio, a lesser one for satellite radio, and terrestrial radio pays nothing at all. This legislation would require all radio platforms to pay the rate that Internet radio pays now. The issue was the focus of an April 13 event, when more than two dozen SAG-AFTRA recording artists, including Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Ray Parker Jr., Rosanne Cash and Martha Reeves, turned out at SAG-AFTRA's national office in New York in support of the Fair Play Fair Pay Act of 2015. U.S. representatives Jerrold Nadler and Marsha Blackburn announced the coming introduction of the bill in Congress. The legislation is supported by SAG-AFTRA, as well as many other artist and industry groups. Coordinated by musicFIRST, a coalition of industry organizations and artists including SAG-AFTRA, the press conference highlighted the bipartisan bill's benefits to recording artists, musicians and vocalists. In addition to the high-profile artists, the event was attended by SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Recording Artists Dan Navarro; New York President Mike Hodge; and National Executive Director David White. "SAG-AFTRA supports fair market value payment for artists. Music enriches our lives and those who create it deserve to be fairly paid for the work they do," said SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard. "This legislation remedies a quirk in the law that permits unequal treatment based solely on where a song is played." "For too long, artists have had a basic right inconsistently applied, and even flat-out denied, in the interest of economic expedience. In the simplest of terms, it's wrong, it's unfair and it's time for that abrogation of artists' rights to come to an end," said Navarro. SAG-AFTRA member Rosanne Cash summed up the situation when she said she wasn't doing this for herself. She was fighting for the Fair Play Fair Pay Act for all the backup singers and session musicians that most fans have never heard of. She talked about needing to pass the Fair Play Fair Pay Act for future musicians because, "If they can get paid, they can continue to create music. I don't want that generation to disappear because they can't pay rent." The legislation would also require payments to recording artists, musicians and vocalists for sound recordings made prior to 1972. No radio platforms currently pay for the use of these recordings. Artists receive a radio performance right in almost every country except Iran, North Korea, China, Rwanda and the United States. Tell Congress you support #FairPlayFairPay. Visit musicfirstcoalition.org to find out more about this important legislation. For Members (1) New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler with SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White; (2) SAG-AFTRA New York Local President Mike Hodge and Cyndi Lauper; (3) Elvis Costello with Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn; (4) Rosanne Cash, second from left, shows off her multiple Grammy Awards with, from left, her husband and musician/producer John Leventhal; President/CEO of The Recording Academy and Grammy Foundation Neil Portnow; and Nadler (5) Former SAG-AFTRA Michigan Local Board member and recording artist Martha Reeves (center at podium) speaks at the press conference. MARGARITA CORPORAN x5 1 2 3 4 5 SAG-AFTRA is a union that has among its members a diverse group of performers, broadcasters and newscasters. Support of this bill should not be interpreted as a personal statement of opinion by or of any specific member of the union. CLICK HERE to watch the press conference.