igofast
03-08-2006, 05:21 PM
By MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press Writer 18 minutes ago
ALBANY, N.Y. - Gifts, trips and cash were used to pave the way for air time for certain songs at radio stations owned and operated by the nation's fifth largest chain, according to a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.
The accusation was denied by the company, Entercom Communications Corp. of Bala Cynwyd, Pa., which owns and operates more than 105 radio stations.
"We have moved from the label side, those who put out the records and are forced to pay for air time, and switched to the radio conglomerates ... that are extracting money," Spitzer said Wednesday.
For example, one memo from a programmer at WKSE in Buffalo to Columbia Records in 2003 stated: "Do you need help on Jessica (Simpson) this week? .... if you don't need help I certainly don't need to play it."
Spitzer claims air time was sold for $1,000 or more for individual songs. He said the practice included providing a $2,500 laptop computer for a country station in exchange for playing artists Joe Nichols and the duo McHayes, for station concert appearances, for a personal appearance by country artist Blake Shelton, and for playing Liz Phair songs. "Don't Tell Me" by Avril Lavigne aired 109 times in a week on Entercom's Nashville station WQZQ. More than a third of the "spins" were paid for by Arista Records, the lawsuit claims.
Spitzer also accused the company of "falsely promoting records up the music charts" in reports to the magazines Billboard and Radio & Records about the play time of songs that was supposed to be based on popularity.
more (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060308/ap_en_mu/music_probe;_ylt=AhHPA7k3MKbHVuEts8PO6g9xFb8C;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--)
This kind of stuff has played a part in the crappification of the radio and music industries.
ALBANY, N.Y. - Gifts, trips and cash were used to pave the way for air time for certain songs at radio stations owned and operated by the nation's fifth largest chain, according to a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.
The accusation was denied by the company, Entercom Communications Corp. of Bala Cynwyd, Pa., which owns and operates more than 105 radio stations.
"We have moved from the label side, those who put out the records and are forced to pay for air time, and switched to the radio conglomerates ... that are extracting money," Spitzer said Wednesday.
For example, one memo from a programmer at WKSE in Buffalo to Columbia Records in 2003 stated: "Do you need help on Jessica (Simpson) this week? .... if you don't need help I certainly don't need to play it."
Spitzer claims air time was sold for $1,000 or more for individual songs. He said the practice included providing a $2,500 laptop computer for a country station in exchange for playing artists Joe Nichols and the duo McHayes, for station concert appearances, for a personal appearance by country artist Blake Shelton, and for playing Liz Phair songs. "Don't Tell Me" by Avril Lavigne aired 109 times in a week on Entercom's Nashville station WQZQ. More than a third of the "spins" were paid for by Arista Records, the lawsuit claims.
Spitzer also accused the company of "falsely promoting records up the music charts" in reports to the magazines Billboard and Radio & Records about the play time of songs that was supposed to be based on popularity.
more (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060308/ap_en_mu/music_probe;_ylt=AhHPA7k3MKbHVuEts8PO6g9xFb8C;_ylu =X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--)
This kind of stuff has played a part in the crappification of the radio and music industries.