You may have heard from Pandora, asking you to contact Congress to support their “fairness” bill, the Internet Radio Fairness Act. But Pandora isn’t telling you the whole story: the bill would slash paychecks to artists and labels simply to line Pandora’s pockets.

We need you to write Congress now and tell them to SAY NO TO SLASHING MUSIC CREATORS’ PAY.

The truth is that Pandora’s dishonest proposal would be devastating to music creators. And while Pandora’s misleading campaign claims that Pandora is suffering under the current, fair system of compensation, nothing could be further from the truth. Pandora is expected to clear $600 million in revenues next year under the current system, and has seen year to year revenue growth that would be the envy of many businesses and families in this time of slow economic growth.

Please CLICK HERE to send a message to your Senators and Representative, asking them to oppose this bill.

(New York) The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has today affirmed a July 2011 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision finding that the American Federation of Musicians and AFM Local 4 (Cleveland, OH)-parent and local-are joint collective bargaining representatives for the Cleveland Orchestra, and that the Musical Arts Association (MAA), which operates the Cleveland Orchestra violated Federal Labor law by refusing to bargain with the AFM over media issues. The Court rejected MAA’s contention that two or more unions may not serve as joint collective-bargaining representatives for a single unit of employees, stating that those representatives can divide-either expressly or in practice-their bargaining duties in order to accommodate local and national interests.
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When the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) discovered that entertainment company Lionsgate had made preparations to go to London to do the score for a uniquely American movie, The Hunger Games, International President Ray Hair contacted Lionsgate music executives and protested. He asked the company to stay in North America and do the score with AFM musicians, under a Union agreement like those the company has with the actors, writers, directors and stage crew. When the production heads refused to budge, Hair pushed back, taking Lionsgate to task in a video clip released today.

Click Here to see what Ray Hair has to say about Lionsgate and The Hunger Games.

If you stand with us, Click Here to sign our petition. asking Lionsgate to record “The Hunger Games” film scores in the United States with all the fair wages, benefits and protections that an AFM agreement affords.

On Tuesday, April 27, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) President Thomas F. Lee joined AFTRA President Roberta Reardon, AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka, House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman George Miller (D-CA), House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), House Representative Bob Brady (D-PA), and musician and composer Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary at the Committee on Education and Labor Hearing Room to outline a new mobilization effort aimed at building support for workers’ rights for performers.

Like many musicians, I have found teaching to be the butter for the bread of performance. Truthfully, the balance between performing and teaching helps me survive as a working musician. I simply love sharing the music with public and private audiences, and equipping them to participate in the creative process.

After several years of operating as a non-profit, the Colorado Film Commission is pleased to announce that effective July 1, 2009 the commission is now the Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media and is part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development & International Trade, and a division of the Colorado Council on the Arts.

Gene Davis, Denver Daily News Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Fort Collins, yesterday sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leading lawmakers urging them to delay consideration on legislation that would force AM and FM stations to pay performers for the music they play until “the full impact of (the) legislation is more thoroughly understood.” …

… Martin Machowsky [Music First] pointed out that artists and musicians are compensated when their music is played on the Internet, satellite radio and cable television music channels, just not when it’s played on AM and FM radio.

“Radio alone enjoys this advantage,” he said. “We got this huge loophole in copyright law and (radio stations) don’t want to give it up.” Complete Story

Editor’s Note: DMA President Pete Vriesenga is taking an informal survey before speaking directly with Representatives Markey and DeGette. Rep. Markey is opposed and Rep. DeGette has not yet committed. Please send a message to them by clicking on the following link:
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S. Con Res. 14 and H. Con. Res. 49, the broadcasters’ resolution, asserts that requiring radio to pay royalties to performers to use their property, as they do songwriters, would hurt small broadcasters. In May, the House Judiciary Committee passed a bill (by an overwhelming majority of 21-9) that established a mere nominal payment by small and noncommercial broadcasters. The vast majority of rural, minority, religious and educational broadcasters will only have to pay this nominal amount, which cannot go up without an act of Congress. In the bill:

Click on the link above for AFL-CIO President John Sweeney’s op-ed piece in The Hill newspaper on the need to pass the PRO-IP Bill (H.R. 4279) and “The Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act” (S.3325). The AFM worked with the AFL-CIO to have this op-ed placed in the paper.

Ever since sound recordings were made part of copyright law in 1972, AFM has been trying to get a royalty for performers when music is played on over-the-air AM/FM radio.

American Federation of Musicians President Tom Lee and Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg make it clear that these two entertainment unions are backing the Writers Guild for as long as it takes to win a fair contract.

Nominees were excited Thursday by the recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. but vexed by the possibility of pickets at the Golden Globes.

The Local One Negotiating Committee has successfully completed the contract negotiation with the League of American Theatres and Producers.

The stagehands on Broadway need and deserve our solidarity and support.
Their fight is our fight for job security and safe working conditions – two areas
that should be a given…and not a giveback.

What can YOU do to show your support?

November 14, 2007, (New York, NY) – Details of the nation’s first truly combined National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC) were announced today in New York City. It will take place June 10-14, 2008 in Denver, Colorado, NPAC is expected to bring together nearly 5,000 actors, administrators, conductors, producers, dancers, trustees, singers, marketers, critics, composers, volunteers, musicians, businesses, instrumentalists, educators, directors, fundraisers and agents.