The US Congress has plans to consider the Performing Rights Act that would grant recording artists and record labels royalties from over-the-air radio play for the first time in history. The royalty would be funded by mandating new fees on broadcasters.

SoundExchange (the performance rights organization that collects and distributes digital performance royalties for recording artists and sound recording copyright owners) is calling on artists who will be in the Washington, DC area on Wednesday, February 27 to join forces at the US Capitol. They request that artists able to join them RSVP at the following address: rsvp@soundexchange.com

The National Association of Broadcasters will also be in town the same day with hundreds of station managers to lobby Congress not to change current compensation mechanisms for performers and copyright owners when their music is played on AM and FM radio. For more info visit: www.nab.org