I’ve never been a huge fan of the recording industry. I suppose it goes along with my working man’s distrust of insurance, college tuition, cell phone bills and every other institution who exist to siphon off my dollars with piddly-ass fees.

This Wired article was passed to me today. It’s chronicling the ongoing battle between radio stations and the recording industry. Nothing new, really, they’ve been biting each other in the tits for decades.

The recording industry has been pushing Congress to pass law to require radio stations to pay royalties to music labels, composers and songwriters.

A bill is both in the Senate and the House (that’s two bills, mind you, one each, remember your social studies on legislation). The House might vote as early as Thursday on the royalties measure, and the Senate bill is in committee (i.e., let the vote-hungry Representatives hash out their party-line battles and then we’ll act on ours if it even passes).

What I found interesting is that the recording industry said radio stations are a form of piracy. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, for all these years, throughout the roaring ’20s, the rock ‘n’ roll decades and beyond, radio stations have been acting illegally, ripping off the recording industry.

The argument for both sides is as follows: Radios now make billions off of the recording industry. Meanwhile, artists gain much of their fame through radio.

If the bills pass, radio stations would have to pay fees to music labels and the artists themselves.

So, who’s being the unreasonable party? Is it the broadcasters, who provide airplay at no cost? Is it the recording industry, who provide the content?

Or is it both, who just need to keep making billions and each realize that they can’t tax the shit out of everything?

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