WASHINGTON - The sound of music's fight against corporate radio grew louder today as civil rights, women's rights, and other citizen groups marched on Congress in support of closing the 80-year old loophole that allows AM/FM stations to deny musicians compensation for the use of their songs. Grammy® Award-winning recording artist Dionne Warwick took center stage as the newly bolstered musicFIRST coalition asked Congress to pass the Performance Rights Act, which would end the radio industry's special status.

"Performers from every genre of music should be fairly compensated for their art," said Warwick. "Radio is the only medium that fails to provide artists with fair compensation for the use of their music and we feel it is time for radio companies to join satellite, Internet, and cable music distributors in giving musical artists what they have worked so hard to earn."

The radio industry has enjoyed an earmark of sorts since the 1920s that allows it to dodge royalty payments that virtually every industry pays to recording artists for use of their music. Last year alone, the industry brought in more than $15 billion in revenues but paid nothing to musicians thanks to its special legal status.

Warwick was joined at the Capitol Hill press conference by Hilary Shelton of the NAACP, and Brent Wilkes, Executive Director of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Each highlighted that the legislation would not harm minority-owned radio, as opponents have suggested, and would protect diversity in broadcasting against industry consolidation by limiting or eliminating requirements for small stations, non-profits, and college radio.

"Being paid fairly for your labor is one of the most basic civil rights," Shelton added," which is why we are pleased to support musicians everywhere to ensure that they are duly and fairly compensated when their music is enjoyed by radio listeners."

Emphasizing the bill's importance to female recording artists, Susan Scanlan of the National Council of Women's Organizations, pointed to ‘Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin as an example of the injustice of current law.

"History is full of famous women singers that might not have written their songs, but certainly brought them to life in definitive recordings that millions of fans cherish," said Scanlon. "Think of Aretha Franklin's R.E.S.P.E.C.T. The song was written by Otis Redding but Franklin made it into a blockbuster hit and a cultural touchstone for the feminist movement."

The press conference was part of a renewed musicFIRST campaign that will mobilize consumers and fans around the country on the importance of fair pay for musicians, including a new website, town hall meetings and grassroots activity in major cities nationwide, and online artist-led campaigns. The expanded coalition also includes the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, League of Rural Voters, and National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, among others.

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