JokingClown
11th June 2004, 22:17
It seems that while it is illegal to pay a radio station to play a song, it is not illegal to play a song as an ad. Quoth the [article (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2621567), 'The practice is legal as long as the station makes an on-air disclosure of the label's sponsorship -- typically with an introduction such as "And now, Avril Lavigne's Don't Tell Me, presented by Arista Records."' Incidentally, that song was played 109 times in one week by Nashville station WQZQ-FM."
So, the RIAA can't pay a station to play song X, but they can pay a station to play an ad, which essentially is just the song, but called an ad... Wow, this capitalism at work: always innovating!
"But why?!" you ask. Well Johnny, its simple: "those plays, or "spins," helped Don't Tell Me vault into the elite top 10 on Billboard magazine's national pop radio chart, which radio program directors across the country use to spot hot new tunes." By paying for the air time, in this case, paying for it to be played as close to eachother as 11 minutes apart(!), the song get volted up the charts because of 'popularity'. Those chart toppers thus are highly more likely to sell, yes, you guessed it, records. Sales from the records(of which a HUGE percentage is profit, mind you) pays for the 'ad' time, and lines the RIAA's pocketbooks.
So, the RIAA can't pay a station to play song X, but they can pay a station to play an ad, which essentially is just the song, but called an ad... Wow, this capitalism at work: always innovating!
"But why?!" you ask. Well Johnny, its simple: "those plays, or "spins," helped Don't Tell Me vault into the elite top 10 on Billboard magazine's national pop radio chart, which radio program directors across the country use to spot hot new tunes." By paying for the air time, in this case, paying for it to be played as close to eachother as 11 minutes apart(!), the song get volted up the charts because of 'popularity'. Those chart toppers thus are highly more likely to sell, yes, you guessed it, records. Sales from the records(of which a HUGE percentage is profit, mind you) pays for the 'ad' time, and lines the RIAA's pocketbooks.