I always wondered why radio stations in the US never promote this incredible advantage they have: they can be played, without charge, in your business establishment.

Businesses need to pay performing rights organizations in order to play music on their speakers. But here's the exception:

A small restaurant (less than 3,750 sq. feet) or business (less than 2,500 sq. feet) can play an FCC-licensed radio station.

A larger restaurant (more than 3,750 sq. feet) or business (more than 2,500 sq. feet) can play an FCC-licensed radio station, with up to 6 loudspeakers, not more than 4 in one room.

Establishment owners should check out 17 U.S.C. §110 (5)(B).

And why don't radio stations, struggling to compete against music services, promote this? It even says "transmission or retransmission", suggesting an internet retransmission fits the requirement.

It's hard to trust US news sources these days. So I regularly check https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world. If they're mentioning the US, I know it's a real story.

They only report on US matters that are important. Crucial stores from my country are not mixed in with stories that are not meaningful or essential.

I can't find any conflicts of interest in their funding model: No ads, no donations, funded by the NZ Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

Also, if the grid goes down, you can get them on shortwave.