South of the border, the recording industry is again demonstrating its preference to expend its collective energy lobbying government to skim off tax dollars instead of earning its by keep serving customers.
Consequently, government efforts are being expended either promoting or trying to stop the industry's attempt to impose a "performance royalty" on radio stations... which amounts to nothing more than another cash grab attempt by a lazy and unimaginative industry elite who want to continue sitting on their laurels in the lap of luxury.
To trot out "destitute artists" and lay the blame on anyone else (as this article points out) is the height of cynicism and self-delusion. If the recording industry was so concerned about artists, they would give artists better deals instead of lining their own pockets with money that should rightfully go to artists.
Of course, it's much easier to pick the public's pockets with another tax on business than to earn money by doing the real work of actually serving the market they (or perhaps more accurately, their predecessors) created.
It's too bad more broadcast schools don't teach their students the truth about how the business really operates. There are too many profs spouting goofy theories (like this article illustrates) to support their anti-capitalist Marxist ideology, leaving those interested in the truth to find it in obscure books like this.
Of course, it's not necessarily a bad thing for the rest of us if the RIAA and its ilk continues to be blinded by their own greed. Because if they keep shooting themselves in the foot, even if they can catch the next ball technology lobs their way, they won't be able to run very far with it.
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