Most people don’t know that musicians don’t get paid when their songs are played on the radio unless those musicians are the songwriters and retain control over the rights. Musicians are now pushing congress to change that and get AM and FM land radio to enter into the same sort of agreement hashed out for Satellite radio, Internet radio and cable TV music channels that already pay fees to performers and musicians, along with songwriter royalties.

“People deserve to be paid when somebody else uses their property,” Herbie Hancock said at a press conference given by musicFIRST Coalition, which represents the musicians’ interests in this fight.

The National Association of Broadcasters opposes, naturally.

“NAB welcomes an honest debate over whether radio stations or the record labels have historically been a ‘better friend’ to musicians,” Dennis Wharton, the organization’s executive vice president, said in a written statement.

What do you think?