Washington - Mar 19, 2007 - On behalf of the public radio system, NPR filed a motion for rehearing with the Copyright Royalty Board in response to the CRB's March 2, 2007, decision on rates for streaming Internet music. This action is the first step in NPR's efforts to reverse the decision, and it will be followed by an appeal of the board's decision to be filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.

Andi Sporkin, vice president for communications of NPR, said that "the Board's decision to dramatically raise public radio stations' rates was based on inaccurate assumptions and lack of understanding of the issues. The new rates inexplicably break with the longstanding tradition of recognizing public radio's non-commercial, non-profit role, while the procedures we're being asked to now undertake for measurement are non-existent, arbitrary and costly."

Sporkin added that the board's decision attempts to equate public radio with commercial radio.

Read the NPR appeal at this link.

The CRB has since agreed to hear certain appeals, but has not scheduled a complete rehearing.