The scuffle over webcasting royalties is a topic I've followed but not posted much about. Here's a recap of some recent goings on:

• The proposed change in webcast royalties rates contains a minimum annual fee of $500 per streamed channel. Previously, that administrative fee was capped at $2,500. Now a webcaster with, say, ten radio channels will owe a minimum of $5,000. A webcaster such as Last.fm, with an incredible number of channels, will owe a significant amount of money. Webcasters are starting to make some noise about this provision.
• Last month, SoundExchange offered a compromise to small webcasters that would allow them to pay what SoundExchange called temporary, below-market rates.
• Radio Ink had an article today about a letter-writing campaign from a trio of webcasters -- CEOs of RealNetworks, Live365 and Pandora -- to every member of Congress.
• In yesterday's Los Angeles Times, attorney Jay Rosenthal and publisher Kurt Hanson debate webcasting. (Los Angeles Times)
• Jeff Leeds has an article about the changes in webcasting rates and the growth in online radio in today's New York Times.