The University's student radio station, WXYC, is fighting against new copyright proposals that could put an end to its Internet broadcasting.
The station, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week, was the first student station ever to begin simulcasting its program over the Internet in the summer of 1994.
Broadcasting could be halted by rules proposed by the federal Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel. On Feb. 20, the panel recommended legislation requiring royalty fees, reports on items to be broadcast and restrictions on what can be broadcasted over the Internet.
The station's staff members are writing letters to the panel to fight the laws, which would require royalty fees of 2 cents multiplied by the number of songs broadcasted and the number of listeners. Before Spring Break, WXYC Business Manager Jason Perlmutter said the cost is too great for the station. Four percent of student fees are WXYC's only source of revenue, and the station could not afford to continue simulcasting if it had to pay royalties, he said. The royalty fees would be retroactive to 1998.
Student Congress passed a bill early this month that would require WXYC to submit an annual report each March, which it did not previously have to do. Congress has the power to set the station's funding.
U.S. legislation also would require extensive reporting requirements. The information, including song title, artist, album title, record label, copyright number and other items, would have to be displayed on the Internet broadcast. All the required information would be difficult to obtain because much of WXYC's music collection contains old records, WXYC officials stated in a press release Monday. The station's staff is composed of student volunteers and is not extensive enough to collect all the information, Perlmutter said.
The copyright laws also would restrict the content of Internet broadcasts. The laws would limit the number of songs by the same artist that could be broadcasted in a certain time period, a policy that conflicts with some of WXYC's programs.
Internet broadcasting is important to WXYC listeners outside Chapel Hill, Perlmutter said. He said the station receives e-mail from listeners around the world, including alumni and former Chapel Hill residents. WXYC representatives have written letters to CARP and the librarian of Congress and have urged them to consider the station's situation as a noncommercial station when debating the copyright rules.
The librarian of Congress must approve CARP's recommendations by May 21 for the rules to go into effect.
