payola

Back in the early 00's my former band Fingertight put out a CD on Columbia Records. With that release we got a shot to have a song or single on the radio.  We did a press tour where we went around to all the major radio markets giving our song and dance to the radio folk to introduce ourselves and try to make some friends at the stations who we'd hoped would play our song when it was released.  It seemed like we made an impression.  We received a generally good response. In certain markets we would kick ass at concerts sponsored by the radio stations. In some cases the DJs would actually wear our t-shirts to work. Needless to say we were pretty confident that we'd get added to their radio playlists, even possibly some airtime.

But that totally didn't happen. In the markets we did get an add, we got played at 3:00am twice a month.  After a few weeks we started to notice a trend. We'd get about one or two plays a week for each market. We realised it was because stations have a weekly hour long cage-match show where the DJs, got forbid, actually pick the music they play. They would pick several lesser known bands and they would go head-to-head tournament style with one song each. People would call in and vote for the one they liked and the winner would go on to the next week's cage match.  Consistently we'd get played and we'd usually win. Which was why on our Soundscan listings it showed those spins regularly.  Soon after it started to slow down and then went to nothing. We chalked it up to just not being good enough, took it with stride and eventually ended up where we are now. Dead. Being the sceptic, and conspiracy theorist that I am, I knew there was something more to it. We didn't suck that much did we? I mean we still have thousands of fans all over the country. As it turns out, we just didn't get the "push"as they say in the industry. What is the "push"? Well, its part of the major label shit machine I'm always bitching about. Thats what this post is mostly about. What a big part of the"push" really is and why the label says it costs so much to "promote" a new band. Once you're chosen for "the push" there's more to it than just making posters and getting your CD's in major retail chains.

I heard this blurb about our former parent label; SONY Music/BMG on the radio and  Googled "SONY BMG" "Payola" and "lawsuit" and found this article.

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Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein is calling for a FCC investigation of payola practices uncovered by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, based on the $10 million settlement with Sony BMG announced today. "It's a real tribute to Attorney General Eliot Spitzer that he has blown the lid off a potentially far-reaching payola scandal," said Adelstein."We've seen a lot of smoke around payola for a while, but now we know it's coming from a real fire. It's time to dump a bucket of cold water on it," Adelstein continued.

"It's unfair to listeners if they hear songs on the radio because someone was paid off, not because it's good music."

Adelstein wants an "immediate investigation" and has asked Spitzer to share all of the evidence that he has uncovered with the Commission. (07-25-05)

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