Bid4Spots Voices Support for Internet Radio Broadcasters on This ‘Day of Silence’

‘We Stand With the Broadcasters,’ Say Bid4Spots CEO Dave Newmark and Nationally Known Internet Radio Expert & Webcaster Rockie Thomas

ENCINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bid4Spots (http://www.bid4Spots.com) today announced that it stands in solidarity with Internet broadcasters on this “Day of Silence,” designed to call attention to the immediate threat to Internet radio due to royalty rate increases set by the Copyright Royalty Board.

“Although Bid4Spots doesn’t have a stream to silence, we want the industry to know we stand with the broadcasters in their fight to save Internet radio”

“Although Bid4Spots doesn’t have a stream to silence, we want the industry to know we stand with the broadcasters in their fight to save Internet radio,” said Dave Newmark, Bid4Spots CEO. “As a business we’re looking forward to getting this issue resolved, so we can all get back to what we like to do – which, for us, is helping broadcasters generate advertising revenue.”

Today, thousands of U.S.-based webcasters plan to turn off the music and go silent, to draw attention to the impending royalty rate increase that, if implemented, would lead to the virtual shutdown of this country's Internet radio industry. On Thursday, June 28, the House Committee on Small Business will hold a hearing to assess the effects of the increase on recording artists and webcasters.

Rockie Thomas manages Bid4Spots’ Internet Radio Division and is an independent broadcaster herself. She silenced her stream today. “These new fees will crush this industry, hurting thousands of broadcasters and millions of listeners worldwide. Broadcasters both large and small are participating in today’s Day of Silence, and there’s widespread support for the webcasters inside and outside the industry, and from across the political spectrum. We hope the lawmakers will listen to the people.”

The Internet radio industry “Day of Silence” was organized by Radio and Internet Newsletter (RAIN): “In this case, ‘silence’ is an extremely appropriate metaphor, since silence may be what listeners hear from most webcasters starting on July 16th,” says Kurt Hanson, publisher of RAIN: Radio And Internet Newsletter (www.kurthanson.com), and founder of AccuRadio.

According to Hanson, major webcasters like Yahoo! Launchcast, Rhapsody, and Pandora.com will silence their streams along with other Day of Silence participants like KCRW.org, Live365, MTV Online, Radioio, RadioParadise, AccuRadio and many independent online broadcasters.

For more information, visit http://www.kurthanson.com and http://www.savenetradio.org.

About Bid4Spots

Based in Encino, Calif., Bid4Spots transforms the often ineffective process of buying and selling last-minute radio spots with the industry’s first CPM-based reverse auction. The company powers the eBay Media Marketplace for Radio. Created by ad agency veteran Dave Newmark, Bid4Spots leverages the Internet to offer a flexible, fast solution that increases radio stations’ revenues by helping them leave no daypart unsold, while broadening access to radio airtime for advertisers willing to forego the selection of specific stations and advance planning, in return for much lower ad rates. Bid4Spots facilitates reverse auctions for buying and selling advertising for both terrestrial and Internet radio. Bid4Spots UK (http://www.bid4spots.co.uk/) is run by AuctionMedia, which is being advised by UK radio advertising specialists RadioWorks. Radio stations, advertisers and ad agencies can call Bid4Spots at [phone].