RFTP RIP
Well, folks, the Librarian of Congress came back with his/her final ruling on the CARP’s Webcasting royalty recommendations…and it ain’t much better than the original.
In other words, we’re toast.
As of 2:00pm MST, Radio Free Tiny Pineapple will be closing its doors to the general public and will simply revert to what it was in the beginning: a way for me to listen to my CDs at work.
Tears will be shed, garments rent, sack-cloth and ashes worn.
But, if you’re unhappy about the ruling, don’t blame the Librarian of Congress. According to U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee and Rick Boucher:
“We are moderately encouraged that the Librarian of Congress reduced the rates for Internet-only webcasters to the same level AM/FM radio Internet broadcasters. We remain very concerned, however, that this rate will lead to the elimination of hundreds of small businesses and does not provide a viable model to serve both the Internet radio industry and recording artists.
“Unfortunately, these rates are a direct result of the flawed ‘willing-buyer/willing-seller’ standard that Congress mandated the Librarian of Congress use in determining these rates. Instead of assessing a fair rate, the flawed standard instead requires the arbitrators to try to replicate willing buyers and willing sellers in an already flawed marketplace.
“While the Librarian of Congress clearly went to great lengths to change the burdensome Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) ruling, we believe that such a contorted process and poor outcome can be avoided by changing the standard guiding the Librarian’s decision-making and removing other obstacles in current copyright law that were identified by the Librarian.”
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Comments
Lael Porter
Thanks for the great programming.
Based on your play, I purchase 3 albums each month where I used to purchase 3 albums each year. I’ll miss your suggestions.
I’ve tried to find other internet radio stations that I enjoy. No luck. The demise of RFTP is a little like a death in my extended family.
You’ve enriched me. Thank you.
Erik Stenbakken
So sad to hear it not. I was listening just now and the music quit (not to be confused with the day the music died). Went to my browser… no signal. Then to RFTP and got the bad news. It was indeed just after 3:00 CST the 21st. Sad.
I too have bookmarked many, many a CD at Amazon.com and others that I would have never otherwise have heard of. The Hooverphonics? Never would have heard that Magnificent Tree without RFTP. And many other musicians too.
It’s a free market system, however, and something new will surface. Not that the corporate giants will ever give it for “free,” but for now, there are artists and ways to be legal and still diverse. Just not as easy, and not as diverse.
RIP till like the Phoenix… See you reincarnated (I hope).
erik
Ken MacDonald
My wife will so happy to hear TinyPineapple is history; now I won’t be able to find any cool CDs to buy from Amazon. In the last six months I’ve purchased maybe a dozen. Well, maybe she won’t be happy — she loved the pineapple too.
(When you set up a subscription service, let me know.)
ken
Cindy Boyer
Sigh. Before finding RFTP my husband and I thought, who else but us could have such eclectic tastes in music? (We knew we were right for each other when, in the early 80’s we bought Ella Fitzgerald and Devo on the same record store trip)
I second the comments - you did enrich our lives.
At times you introuced us to artists we were not so familiar with, and other times shared what seemed like selections from our personal music collection at home.
I would certainly participate in a subscription service, if that ever becomes a viable possibility.
In the meantime - thanks for sharing. Really.
Now, how will I get through the work day without Shawn Colvin, Sibelius and Sesame Street?
Hey - can we all come work at your place?
Louisa Coughlan
I concur with the other entries. You have introduced me to music that reflected my husband and my taste. There are many artists that we might never have heard if we were not exposed to your excellent collection.
As radio has gotten progressively homogenized over the last 10 years, it was excellent to hear brilliant artists that may not be considered “mainstream” get played.
Excellent site. Excellent taste. I think you have a good following of listeners. Please, don’t disappear.
Brett Bourne
very sad development, but not the end, please
how ‘bout publishing your playlist? that way we can still share until this temporary cloud of confusion dissipates, and you’re back “on the air”
you can still lead me to musicians I might not have found otherwise, I look forward to each one
long live the free tiny pineapple
and thanks
Joe
God - I’m so depressed. Just a few months ago I finally found the first radio actually worth listening to, and now it’s gone.
Another instance of the government working to “enrich” the lives of it’s citizens.
Charlie
Damn, after finally finding radio with the same musical taste as mine, Big Brother goes and pulls the plug. Thanks for all the music. I am truly sorry to see it end.
Maybe we all need to go to the polls and give Big Brother a brain transplant. Sigh.
John DuQuette
since everyone else is so well spoken, i will refrain from swearing. or maybe not… this is just so fukked up! I too have bought records based on your “station” . and I am not the record buying type either.
I have a question… can you get direct permission from the particular artist/labels and thereby circumvent this ruling?
It seems to me that someone like Patty Griffin and her label would realize that stations like yours are publicity they simply can not buy.
Fred
You will be missed. I found RTFP when it showed up on Apple’s iTunes about a year ago and was very pleased when you posted a kudo for RTFP from my home-town daily, the Calgary Herald. Your taste in music and mine overlapped so often that I eventually gave up trying to find another Internet radio station to listen to.
I can’t really improve on what others have said, I just wanted you to know that your broadcasts will be missed. I hosted a weekly radio show on college radio for 9 years, and I know how much work it takes to programme a show. I really appreciated your efforts in that regard. And while I never bought anything from Amazon (by the time you add in International shipping and the exchange rate it’s simply not worth it) I did go down to my local independant record store and buy CDs I first heard on RFTP.
Thanks.
[And for those of you who were “taken” by the styles of music RFTP played, our local non-profit broadcast radio station plays a lot of what RFTP plays. Definitely not the “same old same old!” Check out http://www.ckua.com if you are interested. (Requires Real player - doesn’t seem to work under OSX)].
David L'Heureux
When I went to iTunes to show what a great station I found to someone recently, I was shocked to find you were gone. I think the record companies are doing a disservice to all of us by closing down sites like yours. Your site added so much more to the musical landscape than we can find on any stupid Clear Channel station. And yes, I bought music based on your selections. Comparitively, I haven’t bought a thing in years that’s played on the Clear Channel paylist (that’s not a misspelling). Sorry to see you go.
Dave
Jay B L
Ditto all the other comments.
Also, before finding RFTP I bought next to no new CDs. Could not easily find places to hear new music, let alone several cuts from an album. After discovering RFTP a few months ago I have purchased 5 or 6 CD’s from Amazon. Now I guess I’ll go on back to contributing my part to the declining sales of CDs!
Hope RFTP can find a way back on the air.
thor god of thunder
http://www.saveinternetradio.org/
Rob Marquardt
I had meant to write this some time ago in praise, now it will have to be in eulogy.
I had stumbled across RFTP in the summer of 2001 after getting my cable modem and eager to take advantage of it (I think it was a month or two before Apple added the station to their tuner). I was working from home 90% of the time that summer and the Pineapple made for great listening. I was struck by the overlap in our collections, especially in the area of female vocalists — an overlap that’s larger now from new purchases that were made as a result of listening in.
The RIAA is flat-out insane. What harm is done from making little-to-unheard-of artists available to a small group of listeners? In what way is this *decreasing* sales? I’ve had to spackle my walls three times to repair dents from head-pounding.
I put ShoutCast server on my home computer a month ago, also for listening to home tunes at the office (and if the bandwidth supports a few additional listeners, well, that’s just gravy ; ). Until the RIAA makes reasonable provisions for non-profit, micro-scale “hobbyist” broadcasters or comes pounding on my door telling me to knock it off, I will continue to do so. I’d urge you to do the same.
ppk
I’m so bummed. I don’t want to repeat what everyone else has said, but you did introduce me to a lot of new music, and I’ve purchased a ton of it. If I were CDNow or Amazon, I would be upset that people like you are being forced off the ‘net.
When I was in high-school and college in the Washington DC area, there was a great radio station called WHFS. They had very similar tastes to yours. Then one day, a corporate giant bought them and eventually fired all the cool DJs, instituted play-lists, and killed the station. They were unique and you were the closest thing to ‘HFS that I know of. Ah well, the search goes on …