Prov.: Oldies 790; WPRO AM simulcast on 99.7

[atolz@comcast.net]

There is infuence in the same way that when a sponsor buys time on a radio station, the personalities generally don't bad-mouth the sponsor.   As a rule, music stations don't add records to their station that they believe would repel their audience, though if a label consistently offers promotional support and ideas to a station, that will likely insure that a song on that label at least gets a fair hearing.  I am not aware of any pressure exerted by either a label or a promoter to add a song to a station's rotation based on promotional support.  The decision to play the song comes first.  We seek the promotional support after we make the decision.  If there is a natural tie-in, ie: a flyaway to see a specific artist, a station may play that artist, but only if it we decide to play the artist/song first.  

The decision process is not unlike a TV network deciding to run "The Biggest Loser" because there are natural product placement advertisers that would be attracted to that program.  
-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <joe@attorneyross.com> 

> On 11 Mar 2008 at 16:56, Alan Tolz wrote: 
> 
> > I understand your point David, but independent promotion is not 
> > payola. As long as there is no direct correlation between a 
> > promotional item, and the airing of a song specific to that 
> > promotional item WITHOUT sponsor identificaiton, there is no payola. 
> > Stations that accepted fly-aways and/or concert tickets, or for that 
> > matter cash from labels, either directly or through independent 
> > promoters but chose all of their music based on merit without regard 
> > to the label or artist were not violating any FCC statutes. 
> 
> So you want us to believe that stations took all these promotional 
> considerations, even cash, but it didn't affect their decisions in 
> the least. I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale cheap. 
> 
> -- 
> A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 
> 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax 617.507.7856 
> Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com 
> 
>