You may have noticed the SaveNetRadio banners rotating through our site, and the current fight over the royalty structure for webcasters is an important issue worth your time. In short, due to pressure from lobbyists tied to the major record labels, the Copyright Royalty Board ruled on March 2nd to increase the fees webcasters pay to play music online by 300-1200 percent, fee changes that are retroactive to January 1, 2006 and which will force most if not all Internet broadcasters to shut down completely.

Before the new rules go into effect on July 15th, a grassroots coalition of artists, labels, listeners, and webcasters has been fighting back, challenging the CRB’s decision in court and seeking legislation that would overrule the CRB and set more reasonable royalty rates. Two of our favorite Internet radio sites, Bagel Radio and Soma FM, have been covering the issue in great detail, and you should head to their sites for the latest on the fight. While the coalition has gained some steam in Congress, your support is needed. Click here to find out how you can get involved.

This Sunday, July 1st, Ted from Bagel Radio and Elise from Soma FM are throwing a benefit to raise money for the SaveNetRadio coalition at Bottom of the Hill. The show features live performances by Ted Nesseth of The Heavenly States, Matt Lutz of The Herms, HIJK, and Miyako Ueki of Peloton along with DJ sets by Ted and Elise, a raffle and a lot more. You can find out all the details about Sunday’s show here.

The show starts at 6pm, is a suggested $3-$5 donation, and is 21+.