Investigations by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer into allegations of dodgy payola practices in US radio (ie record labels paying to get tracks playlisted, covering up transactions as payments to buy ‘playlist data’ ) continue, with the legal man now subpoenaing the three big American radio groups to gain access to correspondence between them and the music companies. Spitzer has already subpoenaed similar documents from the major record labels. Clear Channel, Entercom and Infinity will all have to hand over paperwork. Still no word on whether these investigations will lead to any prosecution. The music industry maintain payola is very much a thing of the past, and any new incidents of paying for radio play will either be isolated, or will fall into that tricky category where the question is posed, at what point do PR perks become payola?
Feb 21, 2005
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1 min read
Spitzer to subpoena radio groups over payola probe
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is subpoenaing Clear Channel, Entercom and Infinity for correspondence with record companies as his payola investigation continues.