Absolute Radio have been giving U2 quite a bit of airtime of late though at least, unlike the BBC, they are making some money out of it, and getting to test out a new kind of radio advertising in the process.
The former Virgin Radio has been piloting a new kind of advert which at least one person has called the "blipvert", it's a ten second sting which plays out immediately after U2's terrible single 'Get On Your Boots' encouraging listeners to go download the track from iTunes.
With the revenues to be generated from traditional radio advertising in decline, and some in the commercial radio sector of the opinion that the length of ad breaks need to be cut in order to compete with new ad-lite online music services, the blipvert could become a mainstay of radio broadcasts.
They work best, though, when the ad is linked in someway to the editorial, or song, immediately before it, and it's the link between the U2 song and their blipvert on Absolute which is especially interesting (other UK stations have been dabbling with the short ad concept, but not linked to songs being played). Such a link, though, will obviously concern media regulator OfCom who like there to be a clear line between programming and advertising.
A spokesman for the regulator told the Guardian that they were aware of the U2 blipverts on Absolute, and that they had advised the radio station that they must ensure listeners are in no doubt that those ten seconds are ad time not editorial recommendation.
Another concern presumably would be that radio stations selling blipverts to record companies that follow an artists record aren't tempted to increase the airplay of said record in order to air more ads and earn more money - what would basically constitute payola.
But Absolute Radio boss Clive Dickens is confident they have overcome both those concerns with their U2 promotion.
He told the Guardian: "The song was already in the highest rotation it could have on Absolute Radio - 27 to 30 times a week - so they were confident any commercial relationship between us and Universal was not influencing the number of times we play it. And they wanted to be confident that the consumer would know when they were being advertised to. We felt we came up with a creative that made it clear this was an advert. U2 typically don't market their stuff on the radio, and we sold it at a significant premium over normal spot advertising".