For you to be reading this blog, you have to have a computer. The computer is your personal gateway to the world. Whether you have the ability to engage in cyber sex with a "13 year old" police officer or locate a band you have never heard of before, the internet is truly an important part of our everyday lives. Could you imagine your life without email, news stories, or even pornography? Well I am here to ask to you to think of something you may not know about, internet radio.

There are thousands of web broadcasters on the internet now. Whatever your taste in music is chances are you can find a web broadcaster offering that style of music 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your favorite radio station is broadcasting on the web and most can't pull enough advertising revenue to keep these streams up and running.

Most webcasters are free to play whatever songs they want. This is a bonus so you do not have to hear the new Kelly Clarkson music fart 11 times a day, unless of course you want to. Well the webcasters are in trouble and need our help.

On March 2, 2007 the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which oversees sound recording royalties paid by Internet radio services, increased the royalty burden Internet radio is forced to pay. The increase ranges about 300% to 1200% PER SONG! This will most certainly silence most internet broadcasters whose sole form of income is the amount of hits to their webpage.

As stated before, the loss of these webcasters would be a big blow to creativity, forward thinking, and overall diverse radio content. The surviving webcasters will be forced to take up 'sweethart licenses' with major record labels. This means that as long as the webcaster allows the major record label to control the programming and the playlist, the webcaster will be free of fines. This will mean that you will hear Kelly Clarkson farting on a snare drum and you will hear it 21 times a day. Is that the kind of Internet radio you want to hear?

Action must be taken to stop the ruling of the CRB. A bill has been introduced to congress to review the CRB's actions. About 72 million people listen to Internet radio per month and if just half of them called their congressman or woman, this bill would have the backing it needed to go through congress.

In response to this, a coalition has been created to fight the ruling and they only need your signature. Please take a minute and sign the petition or even more effective, call your congressman about the issue.

You can find more information about the issue and ways to help out. I urge you to join in the fight to save Internet radio. With your help we can overrule the CRB. After that, we can take out the RIAA. Don't let the big companies squash Internet radio. Click here to go to SaveNetRadio.org