Bonneville President/CEO Bruce Reese tells this morning’s “Meet the Pres” keynote session at the Conclave in Minneapolis that “I'd love to cut a deal” with MusicFirst, but it would have to be on the right terms. Reese explained that in Washington, “the odds are stacked against us” long-term, because so many in Congress are sympathetic to the fairness claims of the music community. As a result, broadcasters are having to “use every chip” to keep the Performance Rights Bill, H.R. 848, at bay. But Reese said a deal on a performance royalty would need to be on terms that the radio industry could live with, so that broadcasters could “have certainty” about future rates. Reese’s fear is that a performance royalty rider gets tacked onto a must-pass Congressional bill late in the legislative session. Reese was among four group heads who tackled issues such as the recession’s impact on radio, the Arbitron PPM, the importance of local radio and local talent, and building out digital media (“and not just a station website”, said one). The other panelists were Jeff Warshaw of Connoisseur, Jeff Dinetz of NextMedia and Gary Rozynek of Maverick Media. The 9am session was sponsored by Troy Research and moderated by Radio-Info’s news editor Tom Taylor.