Here are some specific steps you can take to help keep WCSB streaming over the internet.

Step 1. Copy the letter below, and paste into an email message. Add your own comments, if you wish.

Step 2. If you do not know who your Congressperson is, go to http://www.congress.org/ and use your zip code to find out. Many of them have online forms rather than email addresses, and you can link to them from the congress.org site. You can also go to: http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and http://www.senate.gov/

Cleveland area contacts include:
Representative Dennis J. Kucinich
Washington Office:
2445 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3510
Phone: (202) 225-5871
Fax: (202) 225-5745

Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Washington Office:
1009 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3511
Phone: (202) 225-7032
Fax: (202) 225-1339

Senator George V. Voinovich
Washington Office:
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3504
Phone: (202) 224-3353
Fax: (202) 228-1382

Senator Sherrod Brown
Washington Office:
C5 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3503
Phone: (202) 224-2315
Fax: (202) 228-6321

Step 3. Using the text of the form letter below, send to your Representatives and Senators. Remember to fill your name in after "Yours truly," and include your contact information if you'd like to receive a response. (If you're feeling bold, call your Congressperson's office, and discuss the issues with someone on their staff.)

Also send the letter to the Copyright Royalty Board using the online form at:
http://www.loc.gov/crb/contact/
Copyright Royalty Board
P.O. Box 70977
Washington DC 20024-0977
(202) 707-7658

Step 4. Continue to enjoy the diverse and interesting programming WCSB offers to the community at: www.wcsb.org

To Whom It May Concern: The purpose of this letter is to offer my comments regarding collegiate broadcasters and the important service they offer. As a listener of college radio I'm concerned that I may lose the ability to tune in my community based and locally run stations via their web streams as a result of the US Royalty Board's impending decision on the fee structure for Web streaming. Many of the artists played on college stations are unlikely to ever see monetary compensation from the music industry that lobbied hard to implement a royalty structure on web broadcasts. Furthermore, college radio is often the only outlet available to these musicians and artists. Further restricting the means by which these artists can reach the public will not only harm the artists themselves, but adversely affect listeners such as myself. Diversity is essential to college radio stations, and providing a live web stream is an important aspect of fulfilling their mission to the communities in which they operate. Broadcasting on the web promotes understanding across cultures, and allows listeners from around the world to hear music they wouldn't find on commercial stations. The threat of hefty new fees and stifling reporting requirements has already forced some community and college stations to discontinue their web streaming. Radio stations staffed by students and volunteers will not be able to comply with the reporting requirements demanded by Sound Exchange. Additionally many college and non-commercial stations will not be able to afford the new fee structure imposed at the behest of the corporate recording industry. Exemptions for college and community broadcasters need to be included in the final ruling, as they play a vital role in offering an alternative to commercial radio, and do not receive revenue from their web streams. Please offer your support to allow non-commercial broadcasters to continue providing this service to listeners such as myself and the public at large. Yours truly,

Below are some useful links for finding out more on the issue.

• College Broadcaster blog
• College Broadcasters Inc.
• on-line petition
• SaveNetRadio.org