There was some concern about Emmylou’s appearance on the stage in front of radio people. It was just three weeks back that she appeared before Congress, requesting that the government force radio outlets to pay royalties (as in tax) so the artists and musicians could make some more money. She did the song “Kern River” and headed out the back door quickly.

As much as I like singers and musicians, I don’t think they should get money from radio. If their records are good enough to get played on radio, they are making enough money playing dates. With the current economic situation, radio can not afford to do this. The advertising income at radio is now at an all-time low. I truly believe Emmylou and those who go to Washington and try to force money out of radio stations will have a hard time getting airplay from now on, whether it happens or not. From this time forward, those artists are not friends of radio across America. True, radio is being taxed with extra income for artists in many countries in Europe and across the globe but we can’t use that as an example to follow. We all need radio a lot more than radio needs us.