End of radio payola?

Houstonist loves good music, and has often complained about the mediocrity found on local radio. According to the Associated Press, there may be break in crappy local radio, due to two new deals that the major radio conglomerates have reached with the government and independent record labels.

First off, four major radio companies (including the largest, Clear Channel Communications) have agreed to pay the government $12.5 million for “payola” fines. Payola has been in practice for decades, although the general public may not be aware of it. Basically, big record companies pay radio programmers (and other staff) under the table to play certain artists on their rosters. The payments may be in cash, vacations, or free concert tickets that may go to the listeners. In return, the radio station would promise the record company a certain number of “spins” for the record. (Come on, did you really think you were hearing Nickelback every hour because they’re a good band?) It's a practice that the industry has kept under the radar, and here's more details on how it works.

The second deal was made between radio and independent record labels: the stations will provide 8,400 half-hour segments of free airtime for independent record labels and local artists. If this deal comes together, it would be a major accomplishment – local commercial radio has ignored independent artists, even if they sell lots of records (take The Shins, for example), and artists from Houston never get commercial radio airplay, unless they are signed to a major label (then, of course, the cash flows to the stations).

Houstonist worked in commercial radio for a time, then got disgruntled when we saw our boss get brand new, high-tech Sony stereo equipment for his house, while we were forced to play crappy Sony records artists that no one wanted to hear. We know that payola is alive, and we hope that this will shake up the radio/record industry and give us more choices, especially since we don’t know what will happen with our beloved satellite radio.