100-Plus Musicians Express Concern to FCC About "White Spaces"

October 27, 2008
Dear Chairman Martin and Commissioner Adelstein, Commissioner Copps, Commissioner
McDowell, and Commissioner Tate:

As both developing and successful recording artists who care deeply about live performance quality and fan satisfaction with our concerts, we are writing you today to express our profound concern regarding news reports suggesting that the Commission will be voting on November 4th on a plan that would dramatically impair our ability to deliver state-of-the-art, live performances to our fans.

First, we can not understate how important touring is to today's performers. Playing live is critical to establishing a fan base and keeping it. This is true for both developing, as well as established, acts. Further, the positive economic impact a tour has on a host city - i.e., revenues and taxes from hotel stays, restaurants, caterers, etc. -- must be taken into account.

The execution of a successful concert tour -- one that fans are willing to spend hard-earned, disposable income to attend -- is anything but easy. Creating good music that people want to hear, obviously, comes first, but if a fan merely wants to listen to the music, purchasing a CD or legally downloading a song is a much more cost-effective option. Rather, our fans come to experience the shows -- shows that evoke strong, positive, and memorable emotional responses. One of the most fundamental and necessary ways that we, as artists and musicians, deliver such an experience is through the deployment of dozens of wireless audio systems, including wireless microphones, wireless in-ear monitors, wireless instruments, and, in some cases, wireless set changes.

We've read that the Commission's proposed order includes a provision that attempts to protect wireless microphones from interference by requiring that new devices include some kind of "spectrum sensing" technology that would presumably instruct the device to avoid interference with nearby mics. Without more, this "solution" is wholly insufficient for live performance productions. Shows in 60,000 seat stadiums, or 20,000 seat arenas, or even 250 seat nightclubs would be brought to a screeching halt every time one of these new devices requires a sensing
"patch," or when the device owner decides to modify his/her device with an after-market power booster. At a minimum, the FCC must require that all new devices be "tethered" to a frequency database before transmitting any signals. Moreover, we implore the Commission to set aside a sufficient number of broadcast channels (no less than 8 in a market) that would be exclusive for wireless microphone operations.

The thought of having to debate each night which band member gets to have the one wireless microphone that might be available in a given market on a given night is not a scenario we want to face, nor is it one that benefits the concert-going public. We, as artists, songwriters, musicians, and DJs who contribute to American culture, urge the Commission to recognize that today's concert fans -- American consumers -- deserve better. They deserve modern performance quality and the unforgettable experience that comes with it.

Sincerely,
30 Seconds to Mars (Jared Leto, Shannon
Leto and Tomo Milicevic)
The 88
Clay Aiken
Jason Aldean
Art Alexakis
Alkaline Trio
Alter Bridge
Aly & AJ
America (Gerry Beckley and Dewey
Bunnell)
David Archuleta
The Bangles (Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Cowsill,
Debbi Peterson)
Sarah Bareilles
Michael Bolton
Michelle Branch
Brooks & Dunn
Patrizio Buanne
Melonie Cannon
Vanessa Carlton
Chali 2na
Chamillionaire
Peter Cincotti
Terri Clark
Les Claypool
Collective Soul
Billy Ray Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Lateef Daumont (Lateef the TruthSpeaker)
Mac Davis
Neil Diamond
Dixie Chicks
Eagles
Earth, Wind & Fire
Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds
Everclear
Michael Feinstein
Ferras
Peter Frampton
Kenny G
Chris Garcia
Robin Gibb
Godsmack
Pat Green
Guns N' Roses
Don Henley
Taylor Hicks
Julianne Hough
Jennifer Hudson
Chris Isaak
Mason Jennings
Kurtis John of The Last Goodnight
Journey
Jurassic 5
Kenna
The Kin
Lenny Kravitz
Miranda Lambert
DJ Green Lantern
Latyrx
Jessie Malakonti
Damian "Jr Gong" Marley
Maroon 5
Maroons
Meat Loaf
Megadeth
The Mighty Underdogs
Alexandra Monir
Ashley Monroe
Monty Are I
Ben Moody
Morrissey
Dave Mustaine
Naked Brothers Band
Terra Naomi
Stevie Nicks
Rissi Palmer
Peter & Gordon
Phantom Planet
The Providence
Push Play
Bonnie Raitt
Relient K
REO Speedwagon
Samantha Ronson
Gavin Rossdale
Emmy Rossum
Rusted Root
Scorpions
Senses Fail
Rhymefest
Seether
Rick Springfield
Static-X
Stone Temple Pilots
Three Days Grace
Tila Tequila
UB40
Vertical Horizon
Clay Walker
The Webb Sisters
Weezer
Vanessa Williams
Mary Wilson
Bebe Winans
Rob Zombie