College Radio Streaming and Legal Uncertainty

This research examines attitudes of college radio station general managers toward Internet webstreaming. Managers curtailed the practice in 2001 in response to demands from record companies and artists for payment of fees for streaming copyrighted recordings. Despite the legal and economic uncertainties surrounding the issue, approximately two thirds of the managers indicated they continue to stream their stations. The survey revealed that most general managers-whether full time or part-time-want their stations to stream, and they regard streaming as a valuable technology for extending station presence.