Detroit radio stations return to the stream

As Susan Whitall writes in the Detroit News, local radio is again turning to the Internet to extend its reach. The concept isn’t new, Mark Cuban made his millions with broadcast.com, but just as Internet radio was hitting its stride, a quirk on performance contracts and unclear copyright law conspired to throw a wrench into the growth of broadcast web audio streams. The hassles began when performers demanded stiff additional compensation when their commercials ran on the Internet. Stations tried to work around this with sophisticated automation systems that removed the expensive ads from the streams. And then, the copyright folks came forward to point out that the “compulsory license” that gives radio the right to play records on the air, didn’t apply to the web. It took time to negotiate a reasonable streaming fee structure and all but the brave decided that Internet broadcasting wasn’t worth the hassle. But as satellite radio and podcasting vie for local eardrums, the radio guys began to rethink their streaming philosophies. And as the weather warms to the promise of Springtime, you’ll again see the “Listen Now” buttons on many of your favorite radio websites.