While I rarely reprint press releases directly this one is important. Please spread the word.
TVWORLDWIDE.COM - PRESS RELEASE
International Webcasting Association to Rally Membership on Copyright Controversy with Two Webcasts, Live from Washington DC TVWorldwide.com Tapped to Stream Interactive Town Hall Meeting of Webcasters May 9, and Coverage of U.S. Copyright Office Roundtable May 10
For Immediate Release
Contact: Beverly O'Brien TV Worldwide.com, Inc. Beverly@tvworldwide.com www.tvworldwide.com
(703) 961-9250 Ext. 222
Susan Pickering International Webcasting Association Spickering@webcasters.org www.webcasters.org
(866) 274-1732 ext 2690
Chantilly, Va. - Deploying the very technology that gave birth to the industry it represents, The International Webcasting Association (IWA), in cooperation with TVWorldwide.com announced a joint effort to produce two webcasts on important copyright issues that may change the face of the webcast industry. In an effort to unite and inform its members and the webcasting industry at large, the IWA will dedicate the second in a series of on-line Worldwide Town Meetings of Webcasters to the implications of the Copyright Office recommendations. This will be webcast on May 9 from 1PM-4 PM EDT. This will be followed the next day with live coverage of the U.S. Copyright Office's important roundtable discussion on the proposed guidelines for webcasters to give the required notice of copyrighted material they webcast and to maintain webcast records. The roundtable will be held May 10 from 9AM-5PM EDT.
Both webcasts will originate from Washington D.C. and be freely available at www.webcasters.org and www.tvworldwide.com. Event sponsors include Streaming Magazine, the nationally syndicated "On-Line Tonight" radio show featuring David Lawrence and other sponsors currently lining up to support the webcasts.
Visitors to the live Worldwide Town Meeting of Webcasters will be able to post questions to the panel and participate by submitting questions and comments chat and e-mail, thus providing a fully interactive forum for those unable to attend or who are simply interested in learning more about the issues.
Roger Dean, Chairman of the IWA said, "We're excited to be able to bring our industry together for these important events in a format that actually showcases the benefits from webcasting. We've again teamed with TVWorldwide.com to webcast the event because of their vast expertise in streaming successful interactive events via Internet TV."
"This is a defining moment for our industry," stated Susan Pickering, Executive Director of the IWA stated. "We're demonstrating the potential of the very medium we work in every day as we create awareness of these issues. Its crucial to ensure our membership and all webcasters have access to the process taking place surrounding the copyright issues."
"We're pleased to work with the IWA on this historical first in streaming video," stated Dave Gardy, Chairman and CEO of TVWorldwide.com. "We're getting a huge response to these events nationally and the U.S. Copyright Office has been very responsive in working with us to facilitate coverage of the roundtable. We look forward to once again working with the IWA as they practice what they preach in utilizing webcasts to serve their membership."
The 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) established that webcasters must pay "performance rights" fees to record labels for the music they play and instructed the Copyright Office to set the appropriate rate, which turned the matter over to a Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) to propose what those rates should be. Industry observers have pointed out that the CARP's recommended rates are significantly more than 100% of most webcasters gross revenues. The Librarian of Congress has until May 21, 2002 to decide whether to accept, reject or modify the CARP's findings.
"If they accept the CARP panel's recommendation, many observers believe that the decision will effectively kill Internet Radio as an industry, as the decision could bankrupt all but the three or four largest webcasters," commented Pickering.
The event will be compressed and archived for viewing at www.webcasters.org and www.tvworldwide.com. Participants should have the free Real Player installed and should log on 15 minutes prior to each event. Questions can be directed to 703-961-9250, ext 223 before and during the events.
As a leading streaming video applications service provider, TVWorldwide.com is developing a network of video channels that is an affiliation of community-based Internet television stations, each underwritten by a strategic partner, "aimcastingsm" to targeted B2B and special interest demographic audiences worldwide. TVWorldwide.com works with strategic partners to develop the latest in live and archived state-of-the art video streaming content applications. TVWorldwide.com was recently named one of the streaming video industry's "Hottest Streaming Companies" by Streaming Magazine, www.streamingmagazine.com.
The International Webcasting Association (IWA) is a worldwide non-profit trade organization dedicated to the growth and development of the art, technology and commerce of webcasting and streaming media over the Internet and other networks. The IWA, headquartered in Washington, DC ( www.webcasters.org ), represents members throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia. The IWA works to keep members informed, connected, and better prepared for the changes that are an integral part of the technology.
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