Hi
Pandora has ***vastly*** expanded my musical horizons and I buy 2 - 3 CD's every month as a result.

Not only are these CD's I'd never have bought otherwise: I wouldn'have bought hardly any because as a 55 yr old I've long been out of the music buying loop.

So internet radio, especially Pandora, gets me back in touch with the excitement of new music and gets me buying again. This looks like win-win-win: why would anyone want to jeopardise that?

Ian

PS I think the word you seek is "remunerate".

that's great, tim. i called my congresspeople. i also did a blog search on google on 'save net radio' and 'internet radio equality act' midway through they day and was floored by how many bloggers had posted it.

You were so very missed yesterday. It was like a day of mourning all over. No music in the office caused the overall spirits to be solemn and tension was high!!

Everyone I know MADE THAT CALL to put an end to the deafening silence!!!

Glad your back, the silence was heard loud and clear.

After a day of darkness the sun has come out again!!

Silken strands of auditory magic float to my ear. Fusing, weaving, expanding; lungs, ears, eyes thrilled, titillated enticing me wetting my appetite my brain bundle ....becoming part of my sensory day. A Day without MGP..... robbed of these delights. Hit the wall. Glad ur bk.

wrote my Congressperson recvd very positive response. Tammy Baldwin in there for us WI and all. Wish I had skills to work for you but sure do appreciate your genius.

Although I sorely missed not having my Pandora yesterday, I am 100% behind your cause. When I first heard of the new rulings regarding royalties, I immediately wrote my Congressman. I was actually pleasantly surprised last week when I received a nice letter (signed with a real pen!) from him stating that there's legislation in the works to fix the looming disaster that would be caused by the rate hike (and retroactive payments!)

Anyway, as a final note -- while spending all day coding, Pandora is there. While cleaning house, Pandora is there. During my cocktail parties, Pandora is there. Thanks for being Pandora. Thanks for standing with the rest of the internet radio broadcasters to make a point -- and in this case, Silence was the loudest thing anyone could have ever said.

My friends and I not only called, but also faxed and emailed our representative, and both senators.

In fact, my representative's reaction to our letters and calls might have won him another vote next election. I didn't like him much before, but now I think I just didn't give him a fair shot!

Oh, and I'd love to read some of the articles from the reporters that were after you yesterday, Tim. If anyone comes across some news links, I'd love to see them! So far all I've found is from yesterday, not the fallout.

Im deff gonna stand behind pandora and other internet radios and call my congress. BUT if it doesn't work and the corrupt gov/riaa lobyists do win, i hope you guys will consider the other option, moving your server to sweden and becoming outlaws like thepiratebay.org. And hell, i know a few guys over there, most likely they would host all of Pandora just to take another stab at the mpaa and further their cause. If Pandora were to die, i dont know what the hell i would do.

-Jordan

Let's not forget to continue to call our political figures, if not on a daily basis, at least weekly. When you call, ask the person on the other end if your congress person has come to a decision on where they stand. If they say no, be 'sure' to tell them you will be following up with another call.

Having been involved in these things before, I've found that Reps will wait until the last moment to take a side. That way it's over and no one protests against them. Believe me, the people that WANT to kill internet radio ARE CALLING EVERY DAY, I repeat, the ENEMY is calling OUR congress people every day trying to get them on their side.

Make them take a side, if they choose to take an avenue other than helpful, protest! This is how it works in the US, but so many people are chicken little and won't put their fists up and fight.

Remember:
YOU elected these people, not the other way around. They work for us and represent not only what is "best" for their people, but what WE WANT. We must make it OVER clear what we want.

Think of it like this: when you were a kid and wanted something for Christmas.. did you ask one time in October and hope for two months that they wouldn't forget? NO! You continue to bother, poke, nudge, scream, kick, yell, etc. We can't poke or kick our congress people at risk of legal action unfitting a person serious about this situation, but we can be a pest.

Sorry for the long rant, I wanted to be sure you folks understand where your feet are planted in this country. Your Reps may be in Washington D.C. but THEY are 'representing' US.

Play on, Pandora! After your day of radio silence, I can only reiterate how much I enjoy your service. Since I spend much of my day working at my computer, you've found me right where I live, via a medium that lives there too.

To add another thought about internet radio itself: If it were not for this medium, the very concept of personalized stations such as those so ably presented by Pandora could never have surfaced. I have "tuned" my stations so that I hardly ever skip or give a thumbs-down to any selections, even those from artists I wouldn't have found otherwise. Could I do this with a homogenized, public, "please everybody" radio station? Would I remember the new artists I like and, as I have just recently done, buy a half-dozen CDs of new music?

And I also received email responses from my representatives - who are already sponsors of the new bill. Long live IR!

It would be nice if you could get all this info over to pepnet.net. They are cognizant of many subjects but nothing about the shutdown on today's info

jack

"You brought down the server system for the country's most robust provider of online petitions..."

Well, it was either that or twitch our way through a day sans Pandora. (Joke)

I second everything that Mike said and can only add that a letter sent via USPS can't hurt. A suggestion:

Buy a pack of pre-stamped postcards, put a brief message on the back of each. Throw one in the mailbox every day. They'll get through to your rep. even when the phone lines are jammed and the e-mail servers start to smoke.

One other thought: Send Jay Inslee a Thank You note. Your rep. does notice (and feel jealous) if a peer is getting lots of nice letters.

I love Pandora! I think the Day of Silence was a good idea and really helped get the point across of what would happen if Internet Radio had to go away.

FYI- Post and vote on your favorite Pandora stations here: http://unspun.amazon.com/Best-Pandora-Com-User-Created-Radio-Stations/list/show/4868

It would be great to have a way to rank stations here on pandora.com!

I love Pandora! and Tim is so handsome!

Thank you for making our lives happier and healthier.
gina

After Pandora's day of silence, I immediately contacted my congress members. One of my senators gave me a very positive response to my e-mail and I have to say that his stance on the issue was one that I have not necessarily thought of or heard of.

I live in a rural state- Montana to be exact. My senator mentioned how Internet radio brings needed access to rural consumers and he wants to protect his constituents' ability to make such choices. For example, has anyone here ever tried to listen to any form of terrestrial radio in sparsely populated areas of say Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming? I can say from experience that it's pretty difficult!

Keep fighting the good fight everyone! To Pandora: keep up the good work- you have me on the hunt for some incredible out-of-print British New Wave CDs and LPs now!

Like everyone else I contacted my Congresspeople.

When I mentioned the bill number, my Representative's aid that answered the phone (Representative being Sanford Bishop) already knew exactly what I was talking about. He chimed in "Yeah, the Internet Radio Equality Act! It's definitely something we're looking at."

A Senator's aid said something a bit typical "I just sat in on a meeting about that the day for the Senator, and I can assure you..." A bit less encouraging, but still... A man can hope.

Good point Gina, I'm writing my senators again on just that point. People think LA and the Bay area when they hear California, but there are a LOT of people in rural areas, and many would be in exactly your situation.

That, and I grew up in northern Idaho, so I know exactly what you mean. I only wish there was broadband internet back then.

Hi, I just got introduced to Pandora, how great this is, if you were off line I am so glad you are back. Thanks for enjoyable music during the work day.

I agree with everyone else. I thought that the Day of Silence was a great way to show everyone what could happen if the Internet Radio Equality Act doesn't pass.

More than that, though, it made me actually get up off my rear (figuratively, anyway) and do something about it. Normally, I'm pretty inert as far as political activism goes. I'll sign petitions if they're put in front of me and I agree with them, but normally I don't really take initiative to contact the elected officials who supposedly represent my interests. Yesterday, though, I joined with everyone else in emailing my Representative and both Senators. I haven't heard back from the Senators yet, but I did receive a reply from Congresswoman Diana DeGette saying that she is a co-sponsor. Good for her!

Keep up the great service!

Brian

No kidding James. It was the longest day of work I've had since I first found out about Pandora. I kept checking back hoping that somehow it would be turned back on. Work is truly lame without the sweet tunage Pandora provides.

WOW ! I missed you !!! Pandora is so wonderful. I am an artist, graphic and other mediums. If I can help in any way, contact me. I have been a professional musician for years..what can I do to help??? trikerink@yahoo.com gimme a shout !! I am here !! Don't ever let them take you away !

Tim,

thankyou thankyou I gave Mel Mar (My sentior)sic! A call about the bill before them. Nelsons' line was busy for 2 days at dif times of the day. Hummmmmmmm. Among other things I wonder why?
jtbg

heytim bst regrds nall d gdstff if u need help 2sty alv u shld nlist me pandas r a rare breed preservation is n order just shout directions taken well n multiplied

Pandora Radio is genius. I listen all to it all the time. I was just wondering if Pandora considered the types of chords and the frequency of chord changes when deciding what song comes next.

I'm very pissed at Pandora because I thought they would let us to listen to the FULL version of our damn picks, but sadly I can only listen to short samples of them. Sigh, what I get for believing there're such things as good free things...

Still missing pandora.com --

I am a new listener to Pandora and I just wanted to let you know how amazing this website is. You have expanded my library of music immensly. I am currently pursuing a career in teaching dance and am constantly researching new music for choreography projects. I appreciate all of your suggestions and hope to utilize them in my future classroom. Keep up the good work. The education field thanks you!!!

Let's pause a minute before taking full credit and celebrating. You can check any bill's status on http://thomas.loc.gov. According to it, only two representatives and two senators became cosponsors AFTER June 26th. The rest joined the fight in late April, May, or early June.

As of midday July 12th, there are 129 cosponsors in the House. Not bad!

We need to keep pushing the Senate. There are only 4 cosponsors there: Brownback (KS), Kerry (MA), Tester (MT), and Collins (ME).

One representative, Nathan Deal of Georgia, has withdrawn support. Any Georgians out there listening? Go get 'im!

Two of my reps are already on board, and I'm working hard on the third. Good luck, Pandora. You really do make music better.