Mister Smashing Pumpkin himself, Billy Corgan, dressed up all fancy today to testify before the House Judiciary Committee regarding House Resolution 848, better known as the “Performance Rights Act.” If passed, this act would require terrestrial (old-school) radio stations to pay more money to artists, which, as Corgan asserts, will bring these stations up to date with newer models of radio. After all, Corgan states that it’s just not fair that not every radio listener will buy a record, t-shirt, or concert ticket, and he calls on Congress to correct this injustice by requiring terrestrial radio stations to pay more to these hard-working artists. Yes, this would be an ideal situation, if terrestrial radio, which is almost entirely dependent on advertising revenue (not subscription fees), could afford to do so at this point in history. In a recession, major cuts come from sponsors’ advertising budgets, and radio is currently bleeding from every orifice. This piece of legislation, if passed, would see the death of many terrestrial radio stations, so Corgan and all of that collective artistry will suddenly lose all that convenient promotion that sells records and/or singles. This could be the final blow to the music industry, whose record companies certainly aren’t striving for an “up to date” approach to the digital era and couldn’t cope with the loss of these radio stations. In other words, this could get ugly.

If you’re into the riveting practice of reading pending legislation, you can check out the full text of the Performance Rights Act. Corgan’s full testimony can be found below:

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