In this Wired blog entry David Kravets reports on the music industry's attempt to make AM and FM radio pay not only songwriters and composers, but also record labels and recording artists, to broadcast songs.

The radio broadcasters say they are in the business of promotion, and shouldn't have to pay. They help artists.

The labels say broadcasting without paying is akin to piracy. And because they have succeeded in making on-line music providers and broadcasters pay, there is now added weight to their argument.

But I wonder where the public, who theoretically owns the airwaves, and the independent artist, who can't get played on radio to save his life, figures in the equation.

Who are the real pirates and what has been stolen?