The sharp rises in royalty fees could be "fatal" to the nascent industry, a coalition of web broadcasters has claimed.
The decision to increase fees was made by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) which reviewed an earlier decision to increase royalty fees collected from web broadcasters.
Under the terms of a 2009 agreement, Pandora and other web broadcasters must pay out up to 25 per cent of their revenues to copyright holders via SoundExchange, a royalty-collection organization affiliated with the Recording Industry Ass. of America.
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Georgian authorities blocked most access to Russian news broadcasters and Web sites after the outbreak of the conflict, and both sides reported Web sites being blocked, removed or attacked as the situation unfolded.
More Internet-only broadcasters get on the Web everyday, adding some interesting alternatives to the usual radio fare.
Hundreds of local and national broadcasters send their signals to World Wide Web as streaming audio (continuously downloading sound feeds).
So the DMCA now forces Internet radio innovators like Pandora to pay higher royalty rates for songs played over the Web compared to the rates paid by cable and satellite broadcasters.
FORBES: Congress Listens To Complaints Of Out Of Tune Royalty Rates For Internet Radio
But new technologies like digital video recorders, TiVo, digital cable and Web-based television are shifting the balance of power from traditional broadcasters to consumers.
Outlining plans for a new Communications Bill, Mr Hunt said a cross-media approach to regulation was vital, as broadcasters, newspapers and internet companies developed new products for smartphones, tablet computers, and web TV.
Radioplayer is an initiative backed by the BBC and commercial broadcasters which attempts to give a consistent look and feel to listening to radio content on the web.
In Britain and other countries where news broadcasters are required to be impartial, at least in theory, the convergence of television and the web makes such rules seem outdated.
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