RIAA and Webcasters bid for royalty rates – naturally the RIAA has filed for a much higher rate to be paid to them. The record companies are NOT paid for on-air playing (the fees go to the writers unions) of music, but they want dibs on internet streaming. The fact is, if they charge the higher fee, then only the larger companies will be able to pay it and the RIAA will then STILL have control over what music gets played – IMO that’s what this is all about. Otherwise, the RIAA then won’t know who to pay to put the music THEY ARE PUSHING on the air – virtually everyone will be able to afford to stream audio, and we can’t have THAT! People will start realizing there’s more to music than just what’s currently on the radio and THEN what kind of anarchy will we have? *grin*