Cost of Living Adjustment: Satellite Carrier Compulsory License Royalty Rates

Key Points

• 1Satellite TV companies like DISH and DirecTV must pay royalties (fees) to music artists and content creators when they broadcast their work
• 2The fees are automatically adjusted each year to account for inflation and rising costs of living, so payments keep pace with the economy
• 3This rule was set by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), a federal agency that decides fair payment rates between broadcasters and content creators
• 4The adjustment helps ensure artists receive fair compensation without Congress having to manually update rates every year
• 5Satellite TV subscribers may see this reflected in their bills, as companies pass along increased royalty costs to customers

Key Dates