Today I attempted to "tune in" WFMT's Midnight Special archive. Rich Warren, who has hosted the show for many years, posted the following note:

After many years of generously providing WFMT's live stream and "The Midnight Special" archive, Yahoo! Radio will discontinue the live stream and archive on July 12, 2002. At that time, Yahoo! Radio will cease all radio streams and archives on the Web. You will discover as the year progresses that fewer and fewer music radio stations will be available on the Web.

The reason for the end of most music Webcasting is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It was passed by Congress at the behest of the recording industry, along with the usual campaign contributions from the industry. The DMCA levies substantial royalties for use of recorded music in any digital transmission. (It does not apply to analog broadcasting.) These royalties are above and beyond the royalties levied by the Performance Rights Organizations (PROs), ASCAP and BMI, on all broadcasters and music presenters. The PRO royalties go to the composers of the music. The royalties levied by the DMCA go to the record labels, and supposedly to the performing artists. The DMCA also restricts pre-announcing songs, publishing playlists prior to Webcast, and how many songs from a single recording you can play in an hour. You can see how this might inhibit good radio programming, and the reason why Yahoo! and so many others have abandoned Webcasting. For example, the DMCA forbids a "Midnight Special" archive if we have the playlist posted in advance, as we had done for the past four years.

Most independent record labels and individual artists oppose the DMCA. Most of the labels and musicians we play on "The Midnight Special" would not receive a nickel even if we could afford to pay the DMCA royalty to continue archiving the program on the Web. (Most songwriters don't even receive a percentage of what we pay ASCAP and BMI.)

Although the Librarian of Congress has reduced the original DMCA royalty, it remains far higher than most broadcasters/Webcasters can afford. Radio broadcasters receive virtually no additional advertising sales nor higher rates for existing ad sales from Webcasting. Donations from Web listeners constitute only a small fraction of total listener support.

You can help redress this situation by contacting your Congressperson and Senator and asking them to repeal the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. You'll also be helping librarians around the nation as well, since the same act eliminates much of the Fair Use Doctrine and will severely limit the Internet as a source of information. Let's prove that people do have power to influence legislation, and not just big money.

WFMT is making technical and financial arrangements to continue the live Web stream for a period of time. Please check our Website weekly for updates and links.

Rich

I think this doesn't actually indicate an end to Webcasting, per se; but it certainly puts a crimp on the many wonderful archives that have become available in recent years. Bummer!