ASCAP files suit against Pandora

NOT SO FAST, RAPID CITY: ASCAP filed a petition with the FCC on 7/25 to dismiss Pandora's acquisition of Box Elder, SD, terrestrial radio station KXMZ. The PRO argues that the purchase is merely a maneuver by the streaming-radio company to obtain favorable licensing rates and is in violation of FCC ownership rules. More to the point, the complaint argues, "Pandora's acquisition of KXMZ would not serve the public interest. Pandora's public statements lay bare its plot: to use KXMZ as a bargaining chip in Pandora's quest to obtain lower royalty rates for its online music streams. Given these brazen proclamations, there can be no doubt Pandora's interests do not lie in providing service to Box Elder and the greater Rapid City area. Station KXMZ and its listeners should not endure such a fate. The application should be denied." Meanwhile, in Box Elder, a coyote sniffed some deer poop. (7/30a)