Sound Recording Performance Royalty Proposed

House democrat Rep. Mel Watt (North Carolina) announced a plan to reintroduce legislation requiring radio stations to pay performance royalties for sound recordings (not just for compositions).  The last time the issue was proposed, in February 2009 (H.R. 848, the Performance Rights Act), the bill failed to pass the House.  The National Association of Broadcasters issued a statement strongly opposing a "new performance tax."