Press Release Summary = Artist and developer of the philanthropic project encourages public participation to save internet radio.
Press Release Body = Santa Monica, CA (BonoVox PR) May 1, 2007 - Conceptual artist and photographer Philip Warbasse is bringing the altruistic I-Wish Project to Hollywood, California on May 5 and 6. The I-Wish Project, a traveling photography project that documents the thoughts and feelings of people in their hometowns, is an all-voluntary effort that hopes to break down the stereotypes that surround us through creative expression. As an addition to the Hollywood shoot, the artist will help draw attention to his passion for internet radio and the legislation that is scheduled to be voted on in the next couple of weeks by inviting people in Los Angeles and around the world to come to Hollywood and share their wishes for internet radio and its future.
The artist came up with the idea for the I-Wish Project in 2005 to express and celebrate the common thread of hope that we all share. With the idea of documenting the wishes and feelings of individuals ranging from homeless people to young families, the I-Wish Project crew first photographed dozens of willing participants displaying their written wish on a 14"x24" poster board on the Venice Boardwalk in California in January 2006. The I-Wish Project-Venice book, which was completed shortly after the shoot with partial sales from the book going to various nonprofit organizations, features selected powerful black and white images accompanied by unscripted commentaries.
As the I-Wish Project-Hollywood coincides with the public effort to reverse the Copyright Royalty Board's recent ruling to triple the amount of money that webcasters will have to pay to record labels over the next three years to stream internet radio, the artist is expanding the Hollywood shoot to accommodate the webcasters, artists and listeners that have joined together to preserve the future of music diversity on the internet. With a petition already circulating online that calls on local representatives to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act number 2060 that was recently proposed in Congress by Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL) to reverse the Copyright Royalty Board's ruling, an additional call to action offline would help bring immediate support and attention to this pressing issue.
The I-Wish Project-Hollywood will serve as an offline complement to the online petition to save internet radio and will allow people visiting and living in Hollywood to learn about and voice their support for internet radio and the Internet Equality Act. With an outlet to express their feelings about the future of internet radio, people would be helping to save the majority of webcasters that would go bankrupt and have to cease their streaming sites on May 15 if the current ruling sticks.
The I-Wish Project-Hollywood is similar in structure to the I-Wish Project-Venice, however the Hollywood version will feature select internet radio related wishes in a special "offshoot" online edition at www.i-wish.org to prompt further awareness about the imminent decision that will determine the future of internet radio.
To learn more about the I-Wish Project concept and to find the map for the location of the upcoming Hollywood shoot, visit: http://www.i-wish.org.
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