Wrong! Legally, it is most definitely a performance when a radio broadcasts a song. It's been that way since the beginning of radio. It's internet companies that changed the definition.

Woah, hold on here. The real story here doesn't have anything to do with 30-second sound samples. Artists and publishers want to be paid royalties on songs used in downloaded movies and TV shows. TV networks have to pay, so should Amazon, Hulu and Apple. This is a huge issue for composers that make their living from scoring TV shows. As viewers migrate away from TV to online viewing/downloads, that will decimate an extremely important revenue stream for working composers.

I agree though that paying for 30-second samples goes too far and that should be taken off the table. I would like to see a reference for where the reporter got that information. No artist or publishing company I know wants that nor is lobbying for it. Sounds like Apple spin, to me.