Every day on this radio station, we strive to bring you great local radio with news, local information, and music. You’ve told us that you enjoy what we call “the music you know.”  It’s one of the major reasons you tune-in, and we thank you. Now, we can use your help!  You often hear our announcers say, “shop locally and listen locally.”  We believe in what we say. Now, in congress is a debate that could result in taking the local money from our community and sending it to large corporate interests.  It’s commonly called “The performance tax.”  This radio station, and all others may soon face an expensive  royalty payment which will take money directly from your community and give it to large record labels, some of which are not even operated in the United States.

 In a nut-shell, the record companies have cried that radio doesn’t pay its fair share to support music artists. This is not true.  Radio is the major way in which artists get their music  to you in the first place!  You’ve probably bought CD’s or legal downloads of music.  You’ve probably attended concerts.  Where did you first hear that music? On local radio!   Radio promotes the artists it plays. Furthermore, this radio station, WION already pays over 6 thousand  dollars a year in licensing fees to 3 agencies for the rights to play the “music you know.” Now the record labels are asking your congressional representatives  to allow what is basically a tax on the playing of music!

Times are tough for everyone.  We’re a small, local business,  serving you, our listeners. We exist because of your loyalty to our advertisers when you shop locally.  A tax on the playing of music is simply wrong.  It’s another example of how large corporate entities are attempting to take control of our country at the expense of small businesses and the American citizen.   Please call, write, or e-mail your representatives and ask them to vote no on what is called the “performance tax” for radio, and, instead  to support  what is called “The Local Radio Freedom Act,” and please, do it today!  

Contact information for your representatives is here on this page.  Or you can call us, and we’ll gladly give you the information.  Please help stop the “performance tax” before it starts.  If you are a business owner, your business could be targeted next!   As a listener, you should be concerned that taxing music on the radio is just a short step away from taxing things like your DVD rentals, your cable movie channels, movie tickets, ball game tickets, and other entertainment. The proposed performance tax starts a dangerous trend!  Help us to continue bringing you the “music you know” on this radio station by contacting your representatives today, and asking  them to support the “Local Radio Freedom Act”   

I’m Jim Carlyle of WION and WGLM.  As a small, privately-held and operated business, we experience the same economic issues you do in your business, and at home!   Help us stop the performance tax in congress now!