WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property hearing, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) grilled Henry Hinton, the CEO of Inner Banks Media and a member of the National Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors, on his opposition to the American Music Fairness Act. This legislation would ensure artists are paid when their music is played on AM/FM radio stations.

Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s opening remarks, and click here and here to download her exchanges with Henry Hinton.

On the Need to Pass the American Music Fairness Act

Senator Blackburn: “When you look at the civilized world  and you look at all the countries that compensate our artists, we are unfortunately in a league with North Korea and Cuba and Iran in not valuing what the creator comes up with.”

“The American Music Fairness Act fixes this issue by closing a loophole in copyright law and ensuring that artists and music creators are paid for the use of their songs on terrestrial radio stations.”

“This bill is about common sense and fairness… We have some big radio that doesn't agree with this... This bill protects small and local radio stations… They have created the soundtrack of our lives.”

“In my state of Tennessee, from Music Row to Beale Street to the hills of East Tennessee… We have an obligation to protect them and to ensure that they have the right to be paid for the product that they create. It is as simple as that.” 

Blackburn Calls Out Big Radio for Causing Harm to Artists

Senator Blackburn: “Let me ask you this, not paying artists for their sound, their voice being on radio, they're getting zero money. Do you think that causes harm to the artist?

Henry Hinton: “The reality is we American radio reaches 79% of Americans every week. 226 million people listen to radio every week.”

Senator Blackburn: “I asked you about causing harm, not about your audience. So let me move on because you are causing harm. You’ve got an oldie station you've never paid Sam Moore's estate a dime for ‘Soul Man,’ and I bet you use that as bumper music a good bit.”

Blackburn Invites Hinton to Nashville to Meet with Artists

Senator Blackburn: “I would invite you, sir, to come to Nashville with me. Come to Tennessee with me and do a roundtable with me, with some of these musicians and entertainers, and I will guarantee you will hear quite a different story. This is an issue of fairness.”

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