US Rock Legend Gene Simmons Slams Radio Industry's Treatment of Artists as "Slavery"
Gene Simmons, bassist of iconic rock band KISS, has accused the radio industry of treating artists unfairly by not paying them royalties for their music being played on the airwaves. In a passionate speech before a Senate subcommittee, Simmons declared that under current laws, artists are treated "worse than slaves" as songwriters alone receive royalties from radio airplay.
Simmons pointed to the likes of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby, who often sang other people's songs but never received payment for millions of radio plays. He even asked fellow honoree George Strait if he was aware that his hit "Amarillo by Morning" had gone unrewarded for years.
"How can we dare come in second to Russia?" Simmons exclaimed, highlighting the country's more equitable system of paying both songwriters and performers royalties for radio airplay. The US, however, remains an outlier with only songwriters receiving payment for their work on the radio.
The American Music Fairness Act aims to change this by requiring radio companies to pay artists for the use of their recordings on the radio. Simmons voiced strong support for the bill, stating that not passing it would be "un-American" and that artists deserve fair compensation.
However, not everyone shares Simmons' sentiment. Henry Hinton, a broadcaster and owner of four radio stations in North Carolina, expressed concerns about the new performance royalty, citing its potential to render local radio economically unviable.
The American Music Fairness Act has garnered backing from numerous artists, including David Byrne and Randy Travis, who advocate for it both through Congress and the press. With Simmons' impassioned plea, the stage is set for a crucial debate on whether fair compensation will be extended to deserving artists in the US radio industry.
Gene Simmons, bassist of iconic rock band KISS, has accused the radio industry of treating artists unfairly by not paying them royalties for their music being played on the airwaves. In a passionate speech before a Senate subcommittee, Simmons declared that under current laws, artists are treated "worse than slaves" as songwriters alone receive royalties from radio airplay.
Simmons pointed to the likes of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby, who often sang other people's songs but never received payment for millions of radio plays. He even asked fellow honoree George Strait if he was aware that his hit "Amarillo by Morning" had gone unrewarded for years.
"How can we dare come in second to Russia?" Simmons exclaimed, highlighting the country's more equitable system of paying both songwriters and performers royalties for radio airplay. The US, however, remains an outlier with only songwriters receiving payment for their work on the radio.
The American Music Fairness Act aims to change this by requiring radio companies to pay artists for the use of their recordings on the radio. Simmons voiced strong support for the bill, stating that not passing it would be "un-American" and that artists deserve fair compensation.
However, not everyone shares Simmons' sentiment. Henry Hinton, a broadcaster and owner of four radio stations in North Carolina, expressed concerns about the new performance royalty, citing its potential to render local radio economically unviable.
The American Music Fairness Act has garnered backing from numerous artists, including David Byrne and Randy Travis, who advocate for it both through Congress and the press. With Simmons' impassioned plea, the stage is set for a crucial debate on whether fair compensation will be extended to deserving artists in the US radio industry.
! Gene Simmons making waves for a reason he's passionate about it, you know? I mean, who doesn't love KISS?! 
It's crazy that songwriters aren't getting paid fairly for their work on the radio. Like, Elvis and Sinatra were basically singing other people's songs but they didn't get a dime 
. This American Music Fairness Act seems like a no-brainer to me - artists should be compensated for their creations, you feel? 
It'd be awesome if we could learn from Russia and make our radio industry more equitable 
. We need to support Gene Simmons on this one and hope it passes soon 
!
I think it's kinda crazy that songwriters only get paid if their songs are played on the radio, but not the performers... I mean, shouldn't they both deserve some kind of payment? 
Maybe they could just pay a flat fee or something? 
! Can't believe how unfair it is to treat artists like that! I mean, come on Russia can do it better than us 
! The fact that Gene Simmons even had to go to the Senate to fight for what's right is just WOW 
. I'm all for the American Music Fairness Act and I think we should be paying artists a living wage 
). Local radio stations are always complaining about money, so it's high time we give them a break...and the artists who rely on it too 
. I'm rooting for Gene Simmons and all the other artists fighting for fair compensation 
!
. And to think about all those legends like Elvis and Bing Crosby who didn't even get paid for their songs bein played millions of times... it's just not cool 
. It's crazy that Henry Hinton is worried about local radio goin under... shouldn't the industry be lookin out for its own artists instead of just tryin to save a buck 
.
It's not fair to the artists who are working hard to create music for us to enjoy. Maybe the American Music Fairness Act will help level the playing field? 
Now they're basically getting paid for playing other people's stuff without giving anything back to the artists who made it happen 
I was listening to an old Elvis song recently and it got me thinking... like, how many times has he been played on the radio without anyone giving him a dime? 
. And who knows? Maybe this will inspire some positive change in the industry 
.
"Is my song's royalty really goin' to a good home?"
I mean, can you blame Gene Simmons? I was listening to classic rock with my dad last summer and we were just talking about how some of those legends like Elvis and Bing Crosby were basically making bank off other people's music without even getting a cent for their own work 
. Why cant we just treat artists with some respect here? The American Music Fairness Act sounds like a pretty solid idea to me 
.
Now lets hope they can get this Act passed and make some real changes