On the other hand, who do you think builds the towers, the buildings, buys the equipment, pays the personnel to produce the programs, and the royalties to the artists they play? Here's a clue: It ain't the taxpayers.
Correct.
...and it's high time that others who profit from the public goodwill and still claim the status of an injured party pay their share as well.
They can't have it both ways. Government support of their livelihood and protection when the rest of the public enjoys those same benefits.
The issue at hand is use of a publicly licensed communication medium, not theft of work product. If it were a simple case of theft of work product, we would have all been sued years ago for giving Christmas presents to our children.
As I said in my original reply: Screw RIAA!