As many of you know, the Librarian of Congress has until May 21 to either accept or reject the recommendations of the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (“CARP”) concerning Internet radio royalty rates and record-keeping requirements.

Barring an unseasonable drop in temperature in hell and the subsequent transformation of H₂O from liquid to solid form, Radio Free Tiny Pineapple will be going dark on or around May 21st. RFTP will simply revert to what it was in the beginning: a way for me to listen to my CDs at work. You just won’t be able to listen in anymore.

That’s a shame because, based on the traffic and fan mail that we get, it is obvious that RFTP is meeting the needs of a niche that is poorly-served by conventional broadcasters.

It is also obvious, based on the number of CD purchases at Amazon.com that are made by RFTP listeners linking directly from our site, that RFTP is generating quite a bit of revenue for the record labels. (And who knows how much revenue we’re generating indirectly? I think Jonatha Brooke owes me a car.)

Still, I do believe that artists should be compensated for their works, and if artists (by way of their labels and the RIAA) feel that the CARP recommendations are the best way to facilitate that, who am I to say otherwise?

As Goethe once said, “There ain’t no fighting The Man…”

Additional Links:

• The New York Times’ “Panel’s Ruling on Royalties Is Setback for Web Radio Services” (Requires free registration.)
• CNET’s “ Webcasters Grumble Over Proposed Fees“
• Robert X. Cringely’s “Internet Radio is Dead — Long Live Internet Radio!“
• SaveInternetRadio.net