Payola Anyone? -- Shake That Laffy Taffy!!

[azraelswings]

Cracking a Clear Channel station is a good sign. Now if it is in some small affiliate station in Bugtussle, MS....no big deal. If you are getting Clear Channel airplay in a major market, that's big time.

I certainly agree that getting consistent play on a clear channel station is good exposure. There is a difference, however, between "clear channel airplay in a major market" and "we've been played on a clear channel station before." If you're getting a consistent spin even once in a while, it will certainly progress things. I just gathered from the way grn phrased things that he'd previously gotten airtime on a few ocassions, not that he was consistently doing so.

If I mention the name Jesse Malin to you, its unlikely you'd know of him. I first heard of him on a clear channel station. I can't deny its effectiveness, I did in fact learn about an artist this way. An artist won't be the next hoobastank unless they get as much airplay as hoobastank.

 

[azraelswings]

A tough road, but good stuff. You should feel good about getting airplay from the CC station.

Yeah, grn, don't think I'm trying to knock your accomplishments, its certainly something to be proud of.

 

[grn]

it's cool... we've gotten pretty far in just one year, but we're still pushing forward. as for mateo21... sorry, it is NOT a merit based system at all, never will be. short cuts make you top heavy... so it's less likely you'll succeed and have any staying power... you'll just fall over - probably before you can collect any money.

 

[leddy]

I agree with most everyone that I don't like the idea of paying a radio station for spins. I'm not sure, however, what the logic is to say that it is automatically wrong and should be illegal.

Radio waves are not public access, they are very tightly controlled, no?. What determines the content of radio (and TV for that matter) are market forces. Radio stations exist to make a profit (except public radio, obviously). They play what they think will drives up their ratings so they can charge more for advertising.

So what is the difference between selling ad space and selling "spin space"?
If there is some obvious answer that I've missed, then I apologize for my ignorance. I just can't figure out why there is a difference between those two.

Nothing in business is "about the music". It's about the money. It makes us all sick that the masses swallow up the crap they play, but that's our problem. Sucks, but that's life.

 

[gullyjewelz]

There may, indeed, be no difference in the reality of it all. However, the "notion" that radio is supposed to be free is alive and well. Just as the notion of "innocent until proven guilty" is a notion that is alive and well, yet the reality is just the opposite: guilty until proven innoncent.

The problem is that so many things in this world are not the way they are promoted. As an artist, it is quite discouraging, frustrating, etc. to hear that the radio stations give "anyone" a chance - and then when you submit your song, you get the full scale run-around!!!!

 

[grn]

actually innocent until proven guilty is mroe than a notion... it's really built in to the law. in court the burden of proof is on the prosecution, not the defendant. heh... I never had the notion radio was free. we have been lucky in getting all this radio play.

 

[gullyjewelz]

its built in to the constitution -- but i have had and know quite a few people personally and professionally have worked with quite a few people who have expeirenced teh opposite -- guilty until proven innocent. but that's another issue. im just using it as an example of the "frustration" i think a lot of people feel when it comes to payola issues.

hell, to some extent im glad that i found the article only because it now gives me figures to "budget" for . . . not that i want to pay -- but if at least know how much i have to pay, i have something i can work towards. hell, im sure SHAKE THAT LAFFY TAFFY got involved with payola to get that crap on teh radio -- at the end of the day, u either have gotten your self to that point, that goal, that level (that only you can determine is the one you want) or you have failed at it.

one of my biggest problems is that i could never get any info. about how much to pay!!!! AGAIN, NOT THAT I WANT TO PAY IT. but if i can build up the budget to pay it, n it will get me teh spins i need to reach the next level, i might have to pay it!!!

hip hop is merciless, so . . . whatever works is considered "right" and what ever does not work is considered "wrong" . . .. not that i agree with this sentiment, but thats teh reality!!!!

if it dont make dollars, it dont make sense!!!!