On Monday, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced a settlement in the pay-for-play case against Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Under the agreement, detailed here, Sony agreed to stop making payments and giving gifts to radio station employees in return for airplay of label artists. Sony also agreed to pay $10 million to provide music education to New York State residents.
I suppose I should feel outraged, but it's not like the music business hasn't always been rotten in this regard. And it's not like this settlement has much chance of stopping pay-for-play, either. The money will just go someplace else.
If you really want to feel the ick factor, take a look at the 59 pages of Sony correspondence at the bottom of Spitzer's press release. The idea of some greaseball b-market jock hitting up label reps. for a free laptop or rental car in exchange for spinning shit records just seems sad and pathetic all around. If you're going to be on the take, at least have the decency to demand an 8-ball of coke and a hooker you can snort it off of.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
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2 comments:
Why oh WHY didn't I go into radio? It's an RTF degree that's hanging on the wall in there... why did I go the T route instead of R?
We don't get laptops or hookers or any of that cool payola. Know what we get? Peaches. Yes, we got PEACHES yesterday.
And Whataburger coupons. No wonder every TV traffic department is full of obese people.
Now excuse me, I've gotta get me a Whatameal #4...
I wonder how many Whataburger coupons it would take to pay for an afternoon of topless maid service?
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