radiodizzy said:You are misusing the term "Payola". Payola is when a person pays a radio station or employee, or gives them gifts, to promote their product... OFF THE BOOKS. When you hear the guys on WEEI talk about the things they receive from restaurants, auto dealers etc... it's a PAID agreement. They don't talk about Dunkin Donuts every morning because they really like Dunkin Donuts and because they're a sponsor.. they talk about Dunkin Donuts because they've been paid to do so. It's a live, un-scripted commercial.
Whether it's on or off the books is irrelevant in the present context. It's perfectly legal as long as it's disclosed on the air. Being off the books probably puts it in violation of state and/or federal statutes relating to commercial bribery, but again that's irrelevant to what's legal on the radio.