The Internet radio might have just found its salvation, as the Congress is on the verge of approving an agreement that could keep radio stations alive.

The House passed a bill on Saturday which supports an agreement between Webcasters and SoundExchange regarding royalties from copyright owners, which got Internet radio stations in trouble in the first place.

The situation got critical this year, after Pandora, the popular radio station, announced it was time to pull the plug for financial reasons. SoundExchange, the music licensing authority, was accused at the time of killing the online radio by demanding huge royalties on behalf of musicians, without taking into consideration the fact that radio stations got to the point of paying more than they earned.

Some lawmakers announced then that they would be negotiating a last minute deal with the music licensing authority, however, things did not look too bright. Now, Pandora and other music stations just like it finally stand a chance.

The effort was both the result of re-negotiations between Webcasters and SoundExchange, and the Congress’ passing of the bill, which allows agreements made by SoundExchange with Webcasters to be made without the government’s approval.

In August this year, Pandora founder Tim Westergren complained that the wave of lawsuits that may rise from not paying copyright owners their benefits, as well as the high royalties, make it impossible for radio stations to survive.

This time, Westergren seemed far more confident that a new agreement between Webcasters and SoundExchange will succeed. This is important especially considering the fact that traditional radio stations pay no royalties, while satellite radio stations pay roughly 7.5% on royalties, which is nothing compared to the 70% Internet radio stations have had to deal with.