Add the Future of Music Coalition to the swelling chorus of voices opposing the FCC's draft of new network neutrality rules.
In a letter to FCC chairman Tom Wheeler coordinated by the coalition, a host of musical artists said the FCC's proposed new rules would "kill—rather than protect—Net Neutrality and allow rampant discrimination online."
They called the proposal disastrous for startups, nonprofits and Web users who could not afford the tolls of an Internet fast lane and called on the chairman to scrap the rules and classify broadband under Title II regs.
Signaotries to the letter included filmmaker Oliver Stone, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Brendan Canty of Fugazi, and Jeff Mangum and Astra Taylor of Neutral Milk Hotel.
At press time FCC chairman Tom Wheeler had circulated, or was said to be about to do so, a revised draft that would strengthen language about possibly using Title II authority and making it clear there was a rebuttable presumption against paid priority. It remains to be seen whether that will assuage his critics, but the Coalition sounded like it would need some persuading.
