"They called it payola in the 1950s. The public learned that radio deejays picked songs for airplay based on cash kickbacks, not musical merit." That was because the radio stations they worked for paid them jack shit in salary. So to make it a living wage, it was either payola, start a record company, promote local concerts, or some combination of all of the above.
"They called it payola in the 1950s. The public learned that radio deejays picked songs for airplay based on cash kickbacks, not musical merit." That was because the radio stations they worked for paid them jack shit in salary. So to make it a living wage, it was either payola, start a record company, promote local concerts, or some combination of all of the above.
Fair point David. And I agree with you... to this day, radio DJs are asked to finance their own shows through sponsorships which inevitably creates a direct connection between advertiser and host. Ted has written a great follow-up here to the theory he has been positing all year (and I saw it explained excellently on his appearance with Rick Beato). But as someone who has written on this subject extensively, I am not sure that, regarding the action taken against payola, it was "Music fans (who) got angry and demanded action." It was Congress, looking for cheap scapegoats. Allan Freed, who had thoroughly embraced Black R&B, and crossed the race line many times in his TV and radio appearances but who had problems with alcohol and clear connections with Maurice Levy, was the obvious fall guy. Dick Clark, all-American host of American Bandstand, was given a clear run in his wake. Cheers!
"They called it payola in the 1950s. The public learned that radio deejays picked songs for airplay based on cash kickbacks, not musical merit." That was because the radio stations they worked for paid them jack shit in salary. So to make it a living wage, it was either payola, start a record company, promote local concerts, or some combination of all of the above.
Fair point David. And I agree with you... to this day, radio DJs are asked to finance their own shows through sponsorships which inevitably creates a direct connection between advertiser and host. Ted has written a great follow-up here to the theory he has been positing all year (and I saw it explained excellently on his appearance with Rick Beato). But as someone who has written on this subject extensively, I am not sure that, regarding the action taken against payola, it was "Music fans (who) got angry and demanded action." It was Congress, looking for cheap scapegoats. Allan Freed, who had thoroughly embraced Black R&B, and crossed the race line many times in his TV and radio appearances but who had problems with alcohol and clear connections with Maurice Levy, was the obvious fall guy. Dick Clark, all-American host of American Bandstand, was given a clear run in his wake. Cheers!