The NAB Radio Board agreed to continue talks with MusicFirst...

Radio Board had a full and productive exchange of ideas today on the status of discussions with MusicFirst representatives,” he said. “The talks are part of an ongoing dialogue with the Board and NAB membership on possible alternatives to pending legislation that would be devastating to the future of free and local radio.” Terms under discussion by the industry include a tiered rate of 1 percent or less for all net revenue, which is about $100 million, NAB said. The proposed deal would permanently remove the Copyright Royalty Board’s jurisdiction for terrestrial and streaming. It would also reduce rates for streaming, require radio chips on all mobile phones, and resolve American Federation of Television and Radio Artists issues regarding agency commercial replacement on webcasts. Under the proposed tiered rate, commercial and nonprofit stations with revenue less than $50,000 per year would pay the lesser of $100 or 1 percent revenue annually. Stations with revenue between $50,000 and $100,000 would pay $500 annually. Nonprofit stations with annual revenue more than $100,000 would pay $1,000 annually. Commercial stations with annual revenue from $100,000 to $500,000 would pay the lesser of $2,500 or 1 percent. Commercial stations with revenue between $500,000 and $1.25 million would pay $5,000 annually. And commercial stations with revenue more than $1.25 million would pay 1 percent annually. News, talk and sports radio would not pay for “incidental” music under the proposal, and religious talk stations would be exempt from music fees.