In this Discussion
- CSunderla February 2006
- jedi_grrlie February 2006
- polo47clover February 2006
- thephantommilk February 2006
- tune1shade February 2006
Payola
Did anyone watch or is watching this primetime special?
Definition of payola:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payola
Allegedly, many admit to this practice including Semisonic, Maroon 5, John Mayer, etc.
Definition of payola:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payola
Allegedly, many admit to this practice including Semisonic, Maroon 5, John Mayer, etc.
Comments
Here's one person's point of view: http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginal.../06/payola.html
I guess it's why some songs get more airplay and thus are more popular than others and maybe those who don't do payola never make it in airplay. I think this definitely affects what the public listens to and why we hear the same songs over and over again on the radio.
Wow. Well that makes sense as to why we hear so much shitty music on the radio all the freaking time.
Really interesting link. I hadn't considered the new entrant issue, although I'm hardly convinced that argument has anything to do with what's actually going on. It's a solid point about good products benefiting the most from advertising, though. So let's say a new band on your label has recorded an amazing single. Why shouldn't you be able to pay for it to be played, so that people can hear it and love it and buy it?
I suppose you could argue that can be done legally, as long as there's an on-air disclosure, which is fair enough. Maybe if this were common practice it wouldn't be so prejudicial. But for now, at least, it's not a great alternative.
And of course I've done absolutely no research on this, but I would think that deregulation has a much greater effect on the fact that every station plays the same damn songs all the time. I'm actually old enough to remember a time when different cities had different radio stations, and local bands could get airplay. I don't know how often that happens anymore.
Ultimately, though, I guess I just don't understand why the airwaves should be considered somehow sacred, or why a system without payola should be somehow more pure.
I do agree with you that advertising is the way of getting the word of mouth on bands, I just don't really agree on bribing individual DJs with money and then getting airplay by bombarding a band's song in a block of time. I also think it would be very interesting to see a system without payola to see what people would actually play and what would be popular, as you know that advertising has a way of brainwashing people with a suggestive image, whether it be true or not, into thinking, oh this is what I need, this is what's cool. there would be none of that. wait. except for reviews I guess...
Wow! You really read into the whole subject, it seems like you've done your research just by reading an article, you speak so very eloquently...
Now that's something we can all agree on.
They should chunk large king-sized candy bars at the stations that won't play their songs.
I wonder if OkGo is part of this whole Payola ordeal? Seems unlikely but you never know...
Always question everything...
They should chunk large king-sized candy bars at the stations that won't play their songs.
I wonder if OkGo is part of this whole Payola ordeal? Seems unlikely but you never know...
Always question everything...
I feel like they're not. Damian has actually said in interviews that he'd be happy to get mainstream success, and I don't think that's the kind of thing you say when you're paying to get your music on the radio.
And gumdrops! Don't forget gumdrops!!!
Despite what little I know of payola and the fact that it could cause the overplaying of genuinely crappy songs, I would think that even the overplaying and overexposure would not stop indie fans. There will always be people who ignore the radio in favor of rifling through records and CDs for better artists than those overplayed on the radio. As long as there are these people searching and sharing the music legally, I would assume that the power of word of mouth along with the fact that the music they are promoting is usually better than what is heard on the radio would allow bands, bands who otherwise may not have earned mainstream coverage, to gain popularity.
Ok, so that made little/no sense... but it sounded all right in my head. Really.
Add Reese's Pieces to the candy pile. Oh my goodness are those heavenly.
Despite what little I know of payola and the fact that it could cause the overplaying of genuinely crappy songs, I would think that even the overplaying and overexposure would not stop indie fans. There will always be people who ignore the radio in favor of rifling through records and CDs for better artists than those overplayed on the radio. As long as there are these people searching and sharing the music legally, I would assume that the power of word of mouth along with the fact that the music they are promoting is usually better than what is heard on the radio would allow bands, bands who otherwise may not have earned mainstream coverage, to gain popularity.
Ok, so that made little/no sense... but it sounded all right in my head. Really.
Add Reese's Pieces to the candy pile. Oh my goodness are those heavenly.
No, what you said made sense, and I think it's rather true. Especially since I feel like lately there's been a general feeling of "Why are we getting the same crap shoved down our throats all the time?" recently. But that's just me.
Reese's pieces are heavenly. There were some in a bowl downstairs mixed with M&Ms, and my roomie and I were down there, picking out the Reese's at 2 am.
Reese's pieces are heavenly. There were some in a bowl downstairs mixed with M&Ms, and my roomie and I were down there, picking out the Reese's at 2 am.
Mhm. I think it's always been that way. MTV came out and people fussed that music was butchered. However, that didn't cause indie music to die. Quite the contrary, I think it started a whole hipster revolution. Suddenly, it's deemed cool to listen to things outside the mainstream. It's not "cool" anymore to listen to the radio. Why else would there be so many "Ugh, they were good... then they sold out" comments?
Reese's pieces are heavenly. There were some in a bowl downstairs mixed with M&Ms, and my roomie and I were down there, picking out the Reese's at 2 am.
Mhm. I think it's always been that way. MTV came out and people fussed that music was butchered. However, that didn't cause indie music to die. Quite the contrary, I think it started a whole hipster revolution. Suddenly, it's deemed cool to listen to things outside the mainstream. It's not "cool" anymore to listen to the radio. Why else would there be so many "Ugh, they were good... then they sold out" comments?
edit: Reese's Peanutbutter Cups are even more amazing. Ooooh, little cups o' HEAAAVEEEEEEEN
edit: Reese's Peanutbutter Cups are even more amazing. Ooooh, little cups o' HEAAAVEEEEEEEN
DOUBLE POST, whee!!!
Peanut Butter Cups rock the socks. I especially like the white chocolate ones, but everyone else I know thinks they're gross. Also, unrelated, I had a box of Godiva chocolate that I got on Friday afternoon, and it's now basically gone.
haha, shit, I completely glossed over the fact that I did that. I swear, one day I'll triple post... and it will be GLORIOUS.
mmm... makes me wanna go apply for an internship at FNX.( aka radio station that already plays Ok Go and should automatically win big truckloadfuls of candy).
FNX also does the disclosed promotion bit, like way late at night I'll hear, "And Now, Matador records presents the newest single from Interpol, 'Evil'" and then after they say , "And that was 'Evil", by Interpol, presented to you by Matador records".
i don't see anything wrong with that way of doing things, really, because FNX would still play evil either way, and having the little disclaimer basically just gives them extra money, i guess. plus barely anyone listens then, so sane pepole don't have to listen to it.
Still, I can see why payola itself would be illegal, because it's basically a bribe and bribes are always illegal. I think that the extra money might be making DJs stick to the uber-mainstrema when their own musical tastes might have a bit more variety.
At the same time, popular radio stations are so bound up in playing only what's popular that if there wasn't payola we might never hear anything new.
so it's a lose-lose situation (or win-win, depending on who you are), and there's nothing we can (or should?) do about it.
But bribes are generally only illegal for public officials, or for people who have a public duty to be impartial. I don't know why a dj would fall under this rubric.
But if you work for a Clear Channel station, how much choice do you have over what to play to begin with?
Agreed. I mean, we certainly could do something about it, but if you're going to be a lobbyist, there are more important issues to deal with.
But if you work for a Clear Channel station, how much choice do you have over what to play to begin with?
Agreed. I mean, we certainly could do something about it, but if you're going to be a lobbyist, there are more important issues to deal with.
Sadie is so smart. I would never know all of that.
yum. you guys posted some yummy yummy uberyummy candies, Reese's Pieces?!
Someone needs to start a candy post!
I'm just soooooo old. Like, a million years older than everyone else here.
But my emotional maturity was stunted at about age 15, so that's ok.
The white Reeses cups aren't all that great. Neither are the caramel ones. But did you ever try the ones with the cookie on the bottom? They came in a yellow package. Delicious. I don't know why they weren't successful.
But my emotional maturity was stunted at about age 15, so that's ok.
The white Reeses cups aren't all that great. Neither are the caramel ones. But did you ever try the ones with the cookie on the bottom? They came in a yellow package. Delicious. I don't know why they weren't successful.
Dude! u are sooo not old. you're only as old as you feel (and ur probably thinking, alright grandpa...) always laugh and always play with your food or little kids, they know alot. But if you don't like little kids, just jump or dance around and hang out with younger folks.
Those Reese's in the yellow package were pretty good but then again I like pretty much all candy except for really really chewy caramel. Have you ever eaten a Sky Bar, oh yum those are really good...