NY Times: Record Labels Said to Be Next on Spitzer List for Scrutiny. According to several people involved, investigators in Mr. Spitzer’s office have served subpoenas on the four major record corporations – the Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the EMI Group and the Warner Music Group – seeking copies of contracts, billing records and other information detailing their ties to independent middlemen who pitch new songs to radio programmers in New York State.
Eliot Spitzer is the attorney general of New York state. When it comes to cleaning up corporate corruption he’s become far more influential than John Ashcroft, who’s been a lot less active on this front.
Now it’s the turn of an industry with a long history of sleazy behavior. No one will shed a tear for the record companies, and rightly so.
Posted by: David on October 23, 2004 06:59 AM
Hey Dan, cut Ashcroft a little slack. He’s been busy rewriting the Consitution. As soon as he’s finished you’ll be glad to discover that the new Bill of Rights for the Rich and Multi-Nationals allows payolla.
Posted by: Craig on October 23, 2004 12:32 PM
Well, well. If you believe in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy, I suppose you can believe in ending the whole payola thing as well. From what I understand from insiders, it’ll be a cold day in hell before thousands of station managers give up their untaxed cash bonuses.
Just for the record, (get it? Record Ha ha.) if you have a hit single on a minor label and a lot of payola money to give away, they won’t take it from you anyway because the stations won’t piss off the gravy train from the major labels who are intent to stifle the competition. Even if you had the money you woundn’t get your song played if it’s too good.
Posted by: adamsj on October 23, 2004 05:21 AM
My gawd, Dan, what a dry sense of humor–“a lot less active”–how drolly understated!