BAGeL Radio in the New York Timesinte

...photo and all!

Big Radio Makes a Grab for Internet Listeners
By JEFF LEEDS
Published: June 12, 2007

photo by Peter DaSilva for the New York Times
Ted Leibowitz, owner and D.J. of BAGeL Radio, an indie-rock Web station he runs from a spare room in his apartment in San Francisco.

Broadcasters of various sizes have been rallying support in Congress to supersede the panel’s decision. “If [the Copyright Royalty Board rate hike] stands, then we’re all done for,” said Ted Leibowitz, a software engineer and founder of BAGeL Radio (bagelradio.com), an online service specializing in indie rock that he runs from a bedroom in his San Francisco apartment. For listeners, he said, the loss of potential choices would be akin to what satellite TV subscribers would face if their satellite crashed. “What people will be offered will be one one-thousandth of what they’re offered today,” he said.

Thanks to Jeff Leeds and The New York Times for bringing wide attention to internet radio and the dire issues the industry faces (and for putting a huge photo of me on page B4!). For those who have not been following the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) Decision story, the major record labels (hiding behind the front group for the RIAA known as SoundExchange) are attempting to wrest complete control of current and future music delivery systems to maintain their dominance of the music industry by killing off independent internet radio.

Thanks to all who have written in and IMed and called today and asked how to help. The answer is simple: call your senators and representatives now to ask them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act, S.1353 in the Sentate and H.R. 2060 in the House of Representatives.

There's a tool at SaveNetRadio.org to help you find your legislators and provide quick and easy ways to contact them.

For those in San Francisco, on Sunday, July 1st we will be having an early evening (6pm-10pm) event at Bottom of the Hill to benefit the SaveNetRadio cause, get people involved, and raise awareness of the issues. The event will feature semi-acoustic mini-sets from Ted of The Heavenly States, Matt Lutz of The Herms, HIJK, raffles, prizes, a bake sale, serious drink specials, plus Elise from SomaFM/IndiePopRocks and I will be sharing the DJing duties. IODA, SonicLiving, reapandsow, and MyOpenBar are all helping to co-sponsor, it is going to be a great way to spend an early summer Sunday evening.

Oh, and if you feel like supporting the station you can buy a BAGeL Radio t-shirt, sweatshirt, bib, onesie, thong, coffee mug, or whathaveyou, you can do so right here right now.