Songwriter, Musician and Label owner Blake Morgan gained national attention through his email correspondence with Tim Westergren regarding Pandora’s attempt to manipulate musicians into signing a letter that would reduce their own royalty payments. Blake returns with a new editorial in the Huffington Post.

Instead of lobbying Congress (as you have) to lower Pandora’s rates, honor the rates Pandora, artists, and labels agreed upon together for Internet radio hand-in-hand with Congress in 2009. It’s an agreement artists went into with you in good faith, that already dramatically lowered the rates Pandora had to pay. It’s an agreement Mr. Westergren himself applauded at the time, famously and happily announcing on his own blog, “the royalty crisis is over!” It was also an agreement we were all supposed to continue honoring together, until 2015.

Instead of taking provocative action and purchasing a tiny radio station in the country’s 255th largest market (as you just did in an attempt to qualify as a terrestrial radio company and not have to pay a performer royalty), take different, provocative action. Stand with music lovers and music makers in reasonably and rationally arguing that terrestrial radio has never paid its fair share, and it’s time it did. And then to show you mean it, sell that station.

READ THE FULL EDITORIAL HERE AT THE HUFFINGTON POST:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blake-morgan/pandora-radio_b_3530363.html