I plan to write more on this later, but it NEEDS to be talked about now

2/4/2009--Introduced.
Performance Rights Act - Amends federal copyright law to:
(1) grant performers of sound recordings equal rights to compensation from terrestrial broadcasters;
(2) establish a flat annual fee in lieu of payment of royalties for individual terrestrial broadcast stations with gross revenues of less than $1.25 million and for noncommercial, public broadcast stations;
(3) grant an exemption from royalty payments for broadcasts of religious services and for incidental uses of musical sound recordings; and
(4) grant terrestrial broadcast stations that make limited feature uses of sound recordings a per program license option. Prohibits taking into account license fees payable for public performance via digital audio transmission of sound recordings in any proceeding to set or adjust the license fees for the purpose of reducing or adversely affecting such license fees. (Current law prohibits taking those fees into account in such a proceeding without referencing the purpose.) Prohibits anything in this Act from adversely affecting the public performance rights or royalties payable to songwriters or copyright owners of musical works. Prohibits taking into account the rates established by the Copyright Royalty Judges in any proceeding to reduce or adversely affect the license fees payable for public performances by terrestrial broadcast stations. Requires that such license fees for the public performance of musical works be independent of license fees paid for the public performance of sound recordings. Revises provisions relating to proceeds from the licensing of transmissions.

Articles on it that I've been able to find:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090513/NEWS02/90513060/1002/SPORTS/Bill+to+force+radio+to+pay+royalties+to+performers+wins+committee+approval

http://www.paradisepost.com/ci_12396121

I know there are more. I missed information about this one. Now it's my passion for the day. :)

Look at #3 - an exemption for religious broadcast. Does that mean Christian music stations would be exempt?

Fucking bite me, people.

Yes, more research needs to be done.