> dont know why this hasnt been touched on this board but
> waqx, wwht, wkrl were all named in the wbr agreement with
> spitzer. former wwht bristol, current pd pettibone and
> former waqx pd odell mentioned in report.
>
>
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2005/nov/Warner Music Group
> Corp.pdf
>
> read up and see
>
>
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Thanks for the website. Here's a cut and paste from the Buffalo board, followed by an observation.</font>
>
> Spitzer added that his office is considering asking the FCC
> to revoke NY state radio station licenses over the affair,
> explaining that the relatively small fines imposed by the
> regulatory body would be considered "a cost of doing
> business" by station owners. Far more effective, explained
> Spitzer, would be for several stations to have their
> licenses revoked, causing the loss of tens of millions of
> dollars for station group owners.
>
> "You'd see instant change overnight," Spitzer said.
>
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Well, perhaps not overnight, Mr. Attorney General. Old habits die hard and the radio braintrust can be depended on to find and exploit loopholes.
The report, which can be found at the NYS Attorney General's website, reveals some interesting points.
Paragraph 57 is particulary revealing. It unveils the names of Independent promoters such as Jeff McClusky, Michele Clark and Jerry Brenner. These may not be household or water-cooler names, but they are known to be the heaviest of heavies in the Independent promoter game.
What's particularly revealing is the influence these people exerted, particularly at the groups named in the report: Entercom, Citadel, Infinity and Clear Channel. Equally revealing, especially to the uninitiated,
are the "spin programs" and vehicles designed and set up to bring in the cash from Independent promoters.
The report states, in Paragraph 57,
"Entercom's spin programs, CD Preview and CD Challenge, could be purchased by Warner Music directly from Entercom. Entercom's programs ranged from $3000 - $4,500 per week. Warner Music's promotion department recognized that Entercom's program--which concentrated its spins in the little-listened to overnight time frame--yielded the most misleading spin numbers... when the listening audience is the smallest."
While such "spin programs" may not expilicitly violate the law, they are clearly set up to generate cash flow from the record companies, by way of the Independent promoters, who, it must be noted, are used by the record companies to buffer the companies, such as Warner Brothers and Sony, from incrimination.
If such "spin programs" do not clearly state that the song is being played on the radio station and the time was purchased/paid for by the record company, there exists the potential for violation of the law.
This is what is commonly refered to as
clarity. Spitzer's report makes clear that, among other issues,
clarity has been lacking in the relationship between radio stations and their listeners.
Should licenses be revoked over this issue? That seems extreme, but no more extreme than a paltry $10 thousand fine. I would suggest that the AG continue to impose sizeable settlements with the radio companies in question, as it did with Warner Brothers and Clear Channel.
While it could be argued that the general managers and program directors of the companies which violated the law deserve to be terminated and punished pursuant to the law, revoking the licenses would be detrimental to account executives, on air, traffic and production personnel, innocent victims who had no part in the overall scheme which led to skirting and breaking the law.</font>
