Kiss bassist Gene Simmons is set to testify before a Senate committee next week, giving star power to a renewed push for legislation that would change how radio stations pay recording artists.
His appearance marks a pivotal moment in the long-running battle to close what supporters argue is a long-standing loophole in the music industry’s compensation system.
Simmons is scheduled to testify Dec. 9 before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property as lawmakers weigh the American Music Fairness Act, a proposal that would require AM and FM radio companies to pay performers when they broadcast their songs.
The appearance is scheduled two days after Simmons and his band are to receive the Kennedy Center Honors.
The musicFIRST Coalition announced the testimony Tuesday, casting Simmons as a leading advocate for a measure that artists say would bring traditional radio in line with digital streaming platforms.
Conservative lawmakers are increasingly pressuring major media companies, saying they treat creators unfairly — a dispute that reflects Republican concerns about the entertainment industry’s concentrated power.
