Pandora, Internet Radio meets Senator Specter

Pandora is an amazing service. Wow. Now this red tape headache.

Hi, it's Tim from Pandora,

I'm writing today to ask for your help. We've had a disastrous turn of events recently for internet radio: Following an intensive lobbying effort on the part of the RIAA, an arbitration committee in Washington DC has just dramatically increased the fees internet radio sites must pay to the record labels - tripling fees and adding enormous retroactive payments! Left unchanged by Congress, this will kill all internet radio sites, including Pandora.

Tomorrow afternoon there is an important U.S. Senate hearing on the future of internet radio. Senator Alren Specter from your state is part of the hearing. I hope you'll take a minute today to call his office to voice your objection to this ruling.

Senator Alren Specter's phone number: (202)224-4254

If you decide to call, please be sure to tell them your name and home town, and mention Senator Alren Specter's name. We encourage you to tell them how much you enjoy listening to internet radio and that, left unchanged, the fees passed by the Copyright Royalty Board will kill internet radio. Please ask them to act to reverse this decision.

Remarkably, this rate applies only to internet radio, exempting both broadcast radio and satellite radio. It is a pure and simple reflection of the difference in lobbying power of each industry. It is not only unfair and without legal rationale, but will completely wipe out internet radio.

I hope you'll take just a few minutes to call - it will make a difference. As a young industry, we do not have the lobbying power of the RIAA. You, our listeners are by far our biggest and most influential ally.

As always, and now more than ever, thank you for your support.

-Tim Westergren (Pandora founder)

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