Have you always wondered why Americans [and Canadians I've found too] complain so much about their radio stations playing the same schlocky music over and over again? There are literally hundreds of less known, but very good bands dying to be heard on air, in both Canada and the States. Why won’t radio stations play their best songs just once, even at 2:00 in the morning?
Payola kills smaller artists dead. It’s like Raid for musicians. And several big radio names in the States including CBS and Clear Channel have been busted for taking illegal kickbacks from Sony BMG and other RIAA members designed to keep non-label artists out of your ears and off the air.
“Major artists, major songs were sent up the charts through improper payments to buy spins on the air that translated into sales.”
The practice known as “payola” — in which record companies give money or other incentives to radio stations to secure more airplay for their artists — was prevalent more than 50 years ago. U.S. federal and state governments introduced laws in the 1960s to bar the practice.
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Slashdot has much more.
Dan | 07-Mar-07 at 9:52 am | Permalink
I knew there was no way that that many people really wanted to hear Nickelback.
JimBobby | 07-Mar-07 at 11:46 am | Permalink
Whooee! Ma an’ I caught the last 5 minutes of Merkan Idol last night an’ we was talkin’ about how the popular stuff always has a certain sound. I figger that’s the sound o’ bigass music industry leeches countin’ their money.
It’s dang hard fer independent music t’ get much notice an’ that’s always been the case since back in the early days o’ radio when payola was rampant. I don’t listen t’ much broadcast radio but I do listen t’ some dang good internet radio at folkalley.com an’ a few other places.
I reckon maybe the internet’ll have more impact than just free downloads with Limewire. YouTube is makin’ new stars with their own low-budget videos. Bigass radio’s goin’ downhill. Nobuddy expects any integrity so payola stories don’t shock anybuddy. A good indication that radio’s mostly washed up is the merger between Sirius an’ XL? satellite radio.
JB
Saskboy | 07-Mar-07 at 11:47 am | Permalink
Holy crap, they are merging?
A buddy tells me Corner Gas is finished now too, anyone else know about that?
Saskboy | 07-Mar-07 at 1:20 pm | Permalink
Don’t worry about Corner Gas, it’s sticking around a while yet.
http://cjme.com/index.php?p=ntnews&action=view_story&id=7737
M@ | 07-Mar-07 at 2:09 pm | Permalink
I have heard that (half-Canadian) rock duo “The Payola$” were unable to get their stuff on the radio because, even in the 80s, the name hit a little too close to home. All this is not surprising, I guess… plus it gives me something to blame when I think about my own long, unsuccessful career in rock.