The meager payment is largely the result of an insurance calculation which pays off based on the stage of crop development that has been achieved when the damage occurs.
This comes at a stage of life in which a majority of Generation Xers own a home (translate: have a mortgage payment) and have minor children (translate: extra mouths to feed).
This deal avoids the possible legislative fight through privately negotiated terms, which could set the stage for either similar deals in the future or for Congress to side with the record labels and require the payment of performance royalties for sound recordings by law.