Tired of Big Radio’s static? Tune into the truth…

During this Holiday Season, whether you’re driving across the country to be with family and friends or to the local mall to shop for gifts to put under the tree, you’re bound to hear the songs that have lifted our spirits, sparked our fondest memories of childhood, and given us renewed hope for peace on Earth and good will toward men. From Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” in 1946 and Frank Sinatra’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in 1957 to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in 1994, Big Radio knows that their advertisers are betting on these sentiments to reach their listening audience.

Of course, no holiday season is complete without Bing Crosby’s 1941 all-time classic “White Christmas,” recorded right after America entered World War II. Mr. Crosby could never have imagined the enduring legacy of his recording. And he could never have imagined that, after forming the National Association of Performing Artists in 1935 to fight for a performance right, artists would still be fighting for that right today.

Now, three quarters of a century later, Big Radio is still making billions of dollars from playing “White Christmas” and the hundreds of other classics which are the foundation of their seasonal advertising sales, without paying a penny to those who bring the songs to life.

As we all share in the holiday cheer and make resolutions for the new year, we at musicFIRST ask for only one thing: good faith negotiations with broadcasters on the Performance Rights Act so that we can find a solution that works for all. Working together, we can ensure that music will truly be the gift that keeps on giving for everyone.

We wish our broadcaster friends, our country’s talented musicians, and music fans everywhere, HAPPY HOLIDAYS.