Singer Lee Greenwood has highlighted an ongoing issue within the music industry, focusing on how artists like Frank Sinatra and himself are not compensated when their songs are played on traditional AM/FM radio. Greenwood, known for his song "God Bless the U.S.A.," stated that a legal loophole, in place for nearly a century, allows radio stations to profit from playing recordings without paying royalties to the performers.
This long-standing issue, according to Greenwood, means that while songwriters and publishers receive royalties, the artists who perform the songs do not. He suggests that a legislative fix is necessary to address this disparity, allowing performers to benefit financially from the widespread use of their work on terrestrial radio.
Greenwood believes that political figures, including former President Donald Trump, could play a role in advocating for changes to copyright law that would rectify this situation. The debate over performance royalties for digital and terrestrial radio has been a recurring topic for artists and industry advocates for years, with varying degrees of success in legislative efforts.