The Digital Millennium Copyright Act caused WMSV radio to stop Webcasting because of restrictions and demands of additional fees. The Digital Performance in Sound Recordings Act of 1995 sets rules and restrictions for music services functioning in digital systems. The DMCA added more restrictions affecting Webcasting activities.
For example, stations will not be allowed to play recordings from an artist, album or boxed set for more than a specified number of times in the given time period.
Many relevant programs by students or members of the community will break the rules of the DMCA if played over the Internet.
Stations will possibly have to list the artist name, album, title and song name on the computer screen while the music plays. This is a problem for many stations because they do not have the computer hardware to grant these requests.
Profit radio stations and Educational/Community stations have the same fee standards, which keep EC stations from developing or keeping operations on the Internet.
WMSV general manager Steve Ellis commented about the fees and WMSV’s reason for ending Webcasts.
“We decided to stop Webcasting because we’re not going to pay those fees,” Ellis said. “We already pay a performance right fee to the licensing offices-BMI, ASCAP and SECAC.”
“We already play their music; that’s what sells their CDs,” Ellis said. “We’re not going to pay another fee in broadcasting, so we took it off the air.”
WMSV stopped webcasting March 21.
“The radio station has been on for eight years,” Ellis said. “We’ve only been webcasting for about four.”
Ellis does not believe that the change in Webcasting will affect MSU students, but it may affect alumni.
“Certainly, we have listeners throughout the world and the United States who were former MSU students who would listen to us and keep up with what’s going on on campus,” Ellis said. “They can’t do that anymore, but it’s not going to affect the university in any way.”
This change will affect members of the Starkville community.
“There are a number of people that listen to us on the Internet while at work in their offices,” Ellis said. “They can’t get us that way anymore; they’ll just have to get us just through a regular radio like they use to.”
Recently, a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee met regarding these changes.