After a long week, webcasters protesting royalty rate hikes may have gained some ground, albeit only a little bit. First, there was the “Day of Silence” protest that gained some media attention. Then, the U.S. House Small Business Committee conducted a hearing to consider overturning the decisions on how rate fees are determined. The result of that hearing was the decision that Congress wouldn’t intervene in the issue, leaving webcasters and the music industry to try to work on a compromise on their own. Surprisingly, SoundExchange has issued a press release indicating a willingness to cap some of the minimum fees for webcasters. It’s not a great deal; it only lasts through 2008 and was a decision made by SoundExchange without negotiation. But it’s something. The webcasters won't be going permanently silent yet.