News Pandora stops streaming to UK

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/01/09/pandora_stops_streaming_to_uk/1

Internet radio service Pandora is to shut off access for UK fans on the 15th of January because the licensing fees demanded by rights organisations are too high.

 

Good thing there is such a thing as proxy servers.

 

It's a huge shame. I've been listening to Pandora for some time now and it has introduced me to new artists whose albums I've bought as a result. I don't listen to traditionally broadcast radio at all because of the complete crap they force upon everyone, Pandora gave people a chance to listen to new music that was within a genre or style that they liked.

The global music industry seems intent on shooting itself in the foot at every opportunity.

 

bloody taxing good services like this is stupid. go and screw sony or some other big corperation

 

pure evil

 

Thing is, services like Pandora don't really fit into their "plan". Small artists do not make the "industry" money. Ringtones, commercial licensing, and itunes sales make them money. Introducing the masses to small, niche artists is in fact the industries true fear. All that BS about piracy and CD sales down is just a cover for the fact that what is really killing the "industry" is the discovery of niche artists, which don't make them much money. They want you to buy their overpromoted, overhyped pop crap. The internet is in fact the only thing saving real music culture, but they are desperate to do everything they can to hide it from the rest of the world.

 

Crap, I really liked pandora

 

Hey guys,

We're attempting to fight back and a petition has been submitted at the Prime Minister's No.10 website (300 signatures and counting). We're hoping that it will gather enough support (and attention) to force the government to get involved or embarrass the record industry into working with webcasters like Pandora.

Lazarus is right, the reality is that the whole licensing system for UK Internet radio needs another overhaul (ironically, it had one in 2006, but look what they come up with!).

It needs to be allowed to become competitive with analogue and it needs to reflect the way in which contemporary music fans want to listen to music.

Here's the link for the petition:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SaveNetRadioUK/
N.B You'll need to be UK citizen to sign.

Incidentally, Tim wasn't kidding when he wrote that the rates "are far too high to allow ad supported radio to operate". I interviewed Tim last year and he estimated that the MCPS-PRS alone was demanding 45 per cent of the gross revenue made by any UK operations. Meanwhile, the PPL hadn't even decided how much to charge his kind of internet radio.

Personally, I hope common sense and economic sense prevails. The MCPS-PRS has just lost its clients a serious amount of royalty money. If I were them I'd be baying for blood.

There's also a facebook group set up called 'Save Pandora, Save Net Radio', so people can keep in touch with progress and show support.

Cheers,

Chris "Ari" Thornett

 

You can get around this and other non-US blocks by using http://hotspotshield.com/ which gives you a vpn connection, you do get spammy ads bolted t the top of html docs while its in use, but its free

 

Sure, you can get around such blocks, but that doesn't solve the problem for the people whose services you use.

If people are willing to spend the time setting up proxies so they can get services like Pandora, then just spare the time to sign a petition that's actually attempting to change the stupid royalty system.

It's simple, just sign here.

 

I'm not knocking the petition, far from from it, just showing people a way around it while this mess is sorted out.

From personal experience in dealing with the PRS, MCPS etc, this is just going to go round in circles.

6 years ago we spoke with the governing bodies regarding a Digital Audio Performance License allowing DJ's and Venues to even be able to have this equipment on site without fear of having the PRS send in the legal team.

We have a signed letter from the MCPS granting us almost a "Free-For-All" allowing us to pretty much play what we liked, when we liked and too who we liked without fear of retribution, of course we had to state that the system was being demonstrated.

We even had Nicky Holloway (Remember him?) working with us.

The ultimate problem is these governing bodies are playing against each other over who has control, it's like a school playground.

And don't be fooled by the so called "Alliance" this is just shear ********

 

this whole net radio issue always pisses me off.. Internet Radio is a Good Thing.. hell, I probably wouldn't have heard half of the music I listen (and then *paid for*) if it wasn't for Internet Radio! Stupid licensing groups

 

www.globalpandora.com is easier

From Austria i give www.globalpandora.com a try as it is a no-brainer.

All the best,

Anton Ost

 

they must understand that if they continue with this they will make a lot less money than with the other fees they had......

is www.globalpandora.com like pandora? if it is..... holly mother of God, how the f*** do they want to kill something beautiful like this?

 

Globalpandora IS pandora - my login etc. worked first time. Question is, will it still work after the 15th?

 

di.fm is heading the same way.

 

Until the taxes go down and services like this return i will never buy an album again.......