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The Smoking Gun for Sony Payola

WEDNESDAY JULY 27 2005 10:15 PM

Submitted by Keith. Edited By Keith.

If there were ever any doubt how so much undeserving shit gets on the radio, here's the answer: one station gets a new digital camera, another gets some plane tickets to Orlando, Florida, just to play Train and Beyonce five extra times a day. Every adult-contemporary Infinity station gets a promotional spot from Celine Dion in exchange for "reporting" her "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)" single. It's not just the typical pop crap, though, one email talks about how it cost $4000 "to get Franz [Ferdinand] on WKSE". All these and more in this PDF collection of documents from the Sony payola case posted on Boing Boing.

Highlights: Epic lists exact payouts for 75 spins based on size of market. Quotes: 'I'm a whore this week, what can I say?' 'Get a power rotation commitment before we commit.' 'Don't want to position Duran Duran with an 80's club ... they are still just as relevant in 2004.' And of course the inevitable 'Sent from my Blackberry Wireless Handheld.'" It's awesome: this lists DJ after DJ who accepting paltry little tchotchkes in exchange for their integrity and mortal souls. They're not just whores, they're cheap whores.

Sony settled out of court with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, but they're not the only ones in the hotseat. The other major record labels have also come under scrutiny, as have radio stations. In fact, radio mega-conglomerate Clear Channel has been served subpoenas in the case.

A Clear Channel spokesperson told FMQB, "We are cooperating fully with Mr. Spitzer's office. Clear Channel has extremely strict internal policies against payola; so strict that we severed ties with independent promoters in early 2003 to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. We investigate any allegation of this nature. The allegations made today will be fully investigated and any wrongdoing will be met by swift and appropriate disciplinary action."

Sweat, you motherfuckers, sweat.

25 Comments

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DeadGuyTwitchin

Chicago, IL

June 2004

JUL 27, 2005 10:49 PM

Sweet! so its like a services list or a menu.

Anton

Australia

September 2003

JUL 27, 2005 11:00 PM

I do agree that Duran Duran are as relevant now as they were in the 80s. And I don't even care that that claim can't be backed up.

RandomNerd

Albany, NY

January 2005

JUL 28, 2005 12:41 PM

Why am I not surprised?

PointBlank

New York, NY

November 2004

JUL 28, 2005 12:46 PM

Alternate headline: "JLo's success: an explanation!"

Idjit

HOPEFUL

I'm lost

JUL 28, 2005 12:52 PM

People still listen to the radio?

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK

August 2002

JUL 28, 2005 12:55 PM

Idjiit said:
People still listen to the radio?

...when they don't have tape decks or CD players in their car, yeah.

One_Pure_Thought

East Greenwich, RI

October 2003

JUL 28, 2005 01:01 PM

I think it's fantastic how talent need not apply in the music industry anymore. It's all about marketing.

Margot_Dent

Los Angeles, CA

February 2004

JUL 28, 2005 01:12 PM

this is a big surprise to you guys?

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK

August 2002

JUL 28, 2005 01:15 PM

Margot_Dent said:
this is a big surprise to you guys?

No. Is it okay with you that it bothers me anyway? Do I have your permission to expect people to have integrity and obey the law?

[Edited on Jul 28, 2005 by Keith]

pillboxhat

I'm lost

November 2004

JUL 28, 2005 01:41 PM

Keith said:

Margot_Dent said:
this is a big surprise to you guys?

No. Is it okay with you that it bothers me anyway? Do I have your permission to expect people to have integrity and obey the law?

[Edited on Jul 28, 2005 by Keith]

Though illegal, I assumed that this was the way radio was done now, with a cavalier "laws are for poor people" attitude. I'm happy to see that there may be some repercussions to this kind of business style after all.

phineas

Bozeman, MT

August 2003

JUL 28, 2005 04:13 PM

if you have to listen to the radio, i can't imagine anything being better than npr nowadays.

dingoes8

Milwaukee, WI

March 2004

JUL 28, 2005 04:25 PM

I've never really seen a problem with payola. They're gonna play the same crap either way. It's not like some KISS FM station was planning on playing some local indie band, but changed their mind because 50 Cent's people paid them.

Bastardo

Boston, MA

January 2005

JUL 28, 2005 05:38 PM

Wow.

LL_Bean_J

Portland, ME

May 2003

JUL 28, 2005 09:00 PM

Idjiit said:
People still listen to the radio?

If they didn't, I'd be out of work. Yep, I'm just another corporate radio shill. It's a living, and I sleep just fine at night. Now shut up and listen to the Foreigner I'm gonna play you.

Interestingly enough, a co-worker of mine once worked at one of the investigated stations, and was listed as recieving a hotel room, nothing more, but this person had no idea it was comped by Sony until after the fact. Most jocks are powerless when it comes to what gets played and when, these decisions come from programming/corporate.

Sloane

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

JUL 29, 2005 07:25 AM

Idjiit said:
People still listen to the radio?

My car was broken into and they broke my CD player in an attempt to steal it, but the radio still works. So, yes. Luckily, we have one or two great stations here.

I doubt the stations I listen to accept bribes, as they don't play mainstream music.

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