Free air time for indies
p2pnet.net news:- The stranglehold Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG, the members of the Big 4 music cartel, have on some of America’s largest radio broadcasters, has been partially broken.
Indie stations are to get free air time.
Clear Channel, CBS Radio, Entercom and Citadel Broadcasting have, “agreed to a consent decree that includes a $12.5 million payment to settle payola allegations raised by the Federal Communications Commission,” says The Hollywood Reporter.
“Innocent men, women and children who share files with each other online are villified in the mainscream media as ‘criminals’ and thieves’ without there being a shred of proof that their activities harm anyone, least of all the multi-billion-dollar Big Four Organized Music labels who claim the practise is ‘devastating’ them,” p2pnet posted last October, going on:
“Yet let one of the corporate entertainment companies be caught red-handed at bribery and it’s all terribly low-key —– warm and fuzzy, almost.”
Our story centred on the fact CBS was to make a $2 million payment to New York charities as part of a settlement with New York attorney general Elliot Spitzer over illicit pay-for-play practices.
Now, “Independent recording artists will get a clearer shot at the airwaves,” says The Hollywood Reporter, going on:
“While it is not part of the consent decree, a separate voluntary side deal between the station groups and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) would set aside 8,400 half-hour blocks of time for independent music.
The free airtime, “would be granted to companies not owned or controlled by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and EMI Group; do not have a market share larger than 5 percent; and are represented as independent through Nielsen SoundScan,” says the story.
Broadcasters and independent labels have also negotiated “rules of engagement” on how record company representatives and radio programmers interact, it states, going on:
“Payola, generally defined as radio stations accepting cash or other consideration from record companies in exchange for airplay, has been around as long as the radio industry and was made illegal following a series of scandals in the late 1950s.”
The story doesn’t say whether or not the broadcasters have to admit to any wrong-doing. But you know how it goes ……..
Also See:
The Hollywood Reporter – Broadcasters in Payola Deal , March 3, 2007
warm and fuzzy – CBS Radio nailed for bribery, October 23, 2006
how it goes …….. – s, October 22, 2004
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March 8th, 2007 at 3:46 am
Some comments:
“Free” air time for the little labels means that payola will continue for the big labels, so nothing has changed.
Industry insiders know that payola is paid for as (fictional) ads when the payment (the ad time is the sames as a song time) is made to the radio station or as under the table payments when the payola is paid to a person who works at a radio station.
It takes two to tango. It takes two or more for payola to work. These are the labels, the label PR reps, the radio stations, the radio show producers and directors, the radio show hosts and the accountants who account (and are not equired to report illegal and money laundering activities) and track the money changing hands. But the FCC thinks and acts as if payola is is a one non person entity affair that is prevented with fines that only reduces the profits by little.
Frankly, it is all a waste of time. Payola will contine.
Rafael Venegas
http://www.gvenegas.com
March 8th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Of course it will, it is like special interest money and politicians, as soon as one avenue is cut off they immediately find another. It is Ironic that while bribing broadcast radio stations(who are supposed to be paying THEM for playing the songs) they are attempting to squeeze small internet radio stations( the venue most likely to play independant music) out of business
http://www.saveourinternetradio.com/about/