Royalties deal nears for Internet radio

Royalties deal nears
for Internet radio

NEW YORK — Listening to radio over the Internet is easier than ever, as high-speed connections have proliferated and online offerings become more sophisticated. Now the legal aspects may be falling into place too. The music industry and online broadcasters have been duking it out for months over the royalties that should be paid to record labels and artists, but there are signs that the logjam could break as early as this month. John Simson, the head of SoundExchange, a music industry group that collects royalties from digital broadcasters and distributes them to artists and labels, said he is optimistic about reaching an agreement soon with public radio stations, possibly by the end of September. Resolving questions over royalties for online broadcasting is critical for the futures of both the music and radio industries as people increasingly use portable listening devices like Apple Inc.’s iPod and desktop computers as a substitute for radio broadcasts.

Today’s birthdays

Actor Dickie Moore (“Our Gang”) is 82. Country singer George Jones is 76. Actress Linda Gray is 67. Singer Maria Muldaur is 64. Actor Joe Pantoliano is 56. Singer-musician Gerry Beckley (America) is 55. Rock musician Neil Peart (Rush) is 55. Actress Rachel Ward is 50. Rock singer-musician Ben Folds (Ben Folds Five) is 41. Country singer Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) is 33. Singer Ruben Studdard is 29. Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson is 26.