December 6, 2002

Congress Approves Bill to Permit Negotiations on Webcasters' Royalties

By DAN CARNEVALE

Congress has passed a bill that gives noncommercial radio stations that play music online, including stations run by colleges, a six-month extension on making royalty payments that were due October 20.

The extension would allow the Webcasters time to negotiate new royalty rates with the recording industry. College-radio officials are hopeful that negotiations would result in stations' paying lower fees for playing songs over the Internet.

President Bush was expected to sign the

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