The RIAA: we hate the music you love and want more money

I think the Recording Industry Association of America has to be the greediest, most ass-backward organisation on the face of the planet. Apparently they have taken the Dire Straits megahit to heart and truly believe they can get "Money For Nothing." From the LA Times:

For years, stations have paid royalties to composers and publishers when they played their songs. But they enjoy a federal exemption when paying the performers and record labels because, they argue, the airplay sells music.

Now, the Recording Industry Assn. of America and several artists' groups are getting ready to push Congress to repeal the exemption, a move that could generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually in new royalties.

Mary Wilson, who with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard formed the original Supremes, said the exemption was unfair and forced older musicians to continue touring to pay their bills.

Call me crass, but I do so hate it when musicians and performers who have sold millions of albums whine about not making enough money. If you're not a one hit/one album wonder, chances are that you've managed to recoup the losses that are always the result of a major-label contract and any financial difficulty you are experiencing is more likely because you've lived outside your means than for lack of sales.

The crux of the matter is this: the RIAA basically wants radio stations to pay them to run their advertisements. That's what a song or a single played on the air is: an advertisement for a musicians album or upcoming performance. The RIAA sure has a funny notion about how the free-market system works...