Charlie Sorrel
Gear

9 FM bans CD giveaways, thumbs nose at RIAA

In answer to the recent price hike on internet 'downloads' which might drive many sites out of business, 9 FM has stopped giving away CDs in competitions, and has offered to swap T Shirts for CDs already won by listeners. Director of music at 9FM MAtt Dubiel: “When I read that the RIAA needed money so badly that they were going to start to price gouge independent web streamers and radio stations who stream online, I knew we had to do our part.

Logo Static 1-1It's no secret that we at Gadget Lab love to hate the RIAA, so we're especially happy to hear that 9FM, the streaming online radio station, has decided to fight back. In answer to the recent price hike on internet 'downloads' which might drive many sites out of business, 9 FM has stopped giving away CDs in competitions, and has offered to swap T Shirts for CDs already won by listeners. Director of music at 9FM Matt Dubiel:

"When I read that the RIAA needed money so badly that they were going to start to price gouge independent web streamers and radio stations who stream online, I knew we had to do our part.

In the face of the RIAA’s struggles, it just doesn’t seem fair for us to be giving away free CDs to music fans who are fully capable of paying for the music themselves. That’s why we’re inviting everyone who has won a CD from 9-FM or any other radio station in Chicago this year, to return it to us and we’ll exchange it for a 9-FM T-shirt and give the CDs back to the RIAA.

Perhaps with all of those CD’s back, the RIAA will have enough money so radio stations like 9-FM and other independent music sites can continue to affordably stream online."

Take THAT RIAA! This nonsense really needs to end soon. It's obvious to everybody that this is doing more harm to the record companies than to anyone else. For us it's inconvenient to be sued left and right, or have our favorite sources of music shut down. But it will end. And if they keep on with their dinosaur tactics, it will be the end of the RIAA, too.

Just don't say we didn't warn you.

Link to story [9 FM]