I am a regular listener of a variety of Internet radio stations. However the Copyright Royalty Board may soon make it much more difficult for these stations to continue broadcasting because of propose royalty rate changes. Last Tuesday, several online radio stations protested the proposed rate changes that could spell the end of the industry. The rates are expected to become effective July 15th and be retroactive to January 1, 2006.

Yahoo Music’s Ian C. Rogers wrote “… the new royalty rates are higher than the revenues anyone can hope to make from related advertising. In other words, we all lose money on Internet radio starting July 15th. Yahoo! has no intention of operating LAUNCHcast radio as a loss-leader. This senseless rate hike needs to be changed, or our business will have to.”

Several other webcasters have voiced similar concern. If the proposed rates are not changed, Internet radio may become a thing of the past.