West's Web Radio Going North?

On radionigel.com, longtime 91X DJ Steve West has played Depeche Mode, Cure, and Ramones hits for the past two years. "Basically, it's what I play on my Resurrection Sunday show [on 91X] and more."

A March 6 ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board (a group of judges appointed by Congress) may shut down West's small business and those of other Internet-radio broadcasters; the copyright judges ruled that webcasters would be required to pay royalties on songs played since the beginning of 2006.

"We may be forced to go offshore," says West. "Or we may have to move [the server] to Canada. Those [webcasters] who can't will probably just fold up and go away."

Rich Brother Robbin, a '60s and '70s DJ (KGB-AM KCBQ-AM, "K-Best 95"), launched his own oldies Web station (richbroradio.com) from his home in O.B. recently. He won't play any of the songs that have been "played to death" by oldies radio.

"No 'Brown Eyed Girl,' no 'Doo Wah Diddy Diddy,' " says Robbin. "My website was set up strictly as a hobby to share all these wonderful songs that aren't available anywhere else. I did this as a labor of love.... But I gratefully accept donations."