Genachowski Invokes The Boss On Net Neutrality

Julius Genachowski

FCC Chairman JULIUS GENACHOWSKI used a string of BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN song titles to illustrate his support for "Net Neutrality" in a talk with the FUTURE OF MUSIC COALITION MONDAY (10/5). In a "riff on Net Neutrality developed by one of my staff members," GENACHOWSKI said, "everywhere from the Streets of PHILADELPHIA to My Hometown in NEW YORK, every Bobby Jean and every JERSEY Girl should be counting on the Internet remaining free and open, not Counting on a Miracle. They should count on The Rising of millions of voices to beat back any Darkness on the Edge of Town, or broadband Badlands that could threaten limited choice and create potential bottlenecks.

"The people who built the Internet were working on more than a computer network, they were Working on a Dream. It was a network that was Born to Run in a land of open protocols, (the Promised Land).  The Internet is more than an information highway, it is a telecom Thunder Road of wonderfully chaotic creativity and it will be a Lonesome Day if that is ever lost. But, hold on, Janey, Don’t You Lose Heart, because the FCC will be taking up open Internet rules in the near future.

"I am grateful for the multitudes of artists -- including musicians, songwriters, and other creative voices -- who are coming forward to say they have a Hungry Heart for a free and open Internet, who will shout 'No Surrender' when it is threatened.

"This exhausts SPRINGSTEEN song title references except to say that the policy fight over Net Neutrality will be a Jungleland out there -- and everyone should be involved in our public FCC process."

Springsteen Lyrics Aside...

GENACHOWSKI's speech discussed the importance of Net Neutrality to musicians, adding, "With a free and open Internet, you don’t have to have big-time, star-power leverage over record labels, publishing companies, commercial radio stations, or particular retailers to get your music to the public. In today’s broadband world, the artists themselves can be self-empowering -- they are free to connect with audiences, paying customers, and musical social networks in ways previously unimaginable.

"Most importantly, Net Neutrality permits independent artists and independent labels to compete on an equal technological playing field with the biggest companies in the space. That’s the American way -- letting Internet users, the broadest group possible of ordinary people, decide who wins and loses."

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