The music streaming and recommendation site Pandora has been given a reprieve by Congress. In August, the founder of the well-regarded service, Tim Westergren, told the Washington Post that the company was approaching a "pull-the-plug kind of decision" over a pending increase in the royalty payments it would be required to pay SoundExchange, the music industry's royalty clearinghouse for radio stations.

The bill authorizes Internet radio services to negotiate new royalty agreements retroactive to 2006 and through 2015. Jonathan Potter, Executive Director of the Digital Media Association said he was "very hopeful of reaching agreement soon, and thereby creating long-term stability that will re-energize the Internet radio business."

Today, Westergren told Gizmodo, "we're just hugely grateful to our listeners and everyone who moved so quickly to mobilize support. This last weekend was just extraordinary." The bill -- the Webcaster Settlement Act -- passed both houses of Congress and will now get sent to President Bush.

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