Radio Waves

Royalty bill expected to clear committee.
Opponents of abolishing radio's decades-old royalty exemption have the backing of a majority of House members making it unlikely the issue will go far this year. That's not expected to stop a House subcommittee from easily approving the proposed Performance Rights Act during today's scheduled mark-up hearing. The NAB is running ads in Capitol Hill newspapers saying a royalty would "hurt local radio stations just to put money in the hands of big international companies."


The price of localism: $2.7 million.
The FCC's proposed rulebook changes requiring 24-hour staffing, community ascertainment meetings and main studios within a city of license come at a price. Simmons Media says for them it would be about $2.7 million. If the rules are implemented as proposed, the company would have to build and maintain 13 additional studio locations and hire additional staff. That just the tip of the iceberg for broadcasters.

Filming in Pittsburgh
Ohio Valley General Hospital was overtaken by film crews and a slew of actors (Daryl Hannah, Steve Gutenberg & George Lopez are a part of that list). They are taping "Shannon's Rainbow".

The story isn't only being taped locally, but was written locally by actor John Mowod and KDKA morning man Larry Richert about a 17-year-old girl and a horse named Rainbow. It's about an experience Mowod's own brother had with a horse a decade ago. Joe Mowod was a horse trainer at The Meadows Racetrack at the time and had a horse who was ill. Ignoring the recommendations that the horse should be put down, Mowod nursed the horse back to health hoping that it could live a normal life. The horse ended up surpassing that goal and won a race at the Red Mile in Kentucky.

They fought hard to have the film shot in Pittsburgh. Look for John Mowod to play the role of a horse trainer in the film. Larry Richert will also make an appearance.

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