1974 SPECIAL REPORT: "ROCK & ROLL and PAYOLA"

Payola is a big no-no in the music business, and yet it is a persistent problem. Payola is the word used to describe the act of a record label or other interested party paying a radio station to play a certain artist (either in cash or in goods). The practice has obvious implications: when money changes hands in exchange for radio play, certain artists get more exposure than others. Exposure is key to making it big in the music business, and in an ideal world, the public's response to artists and songs should drive who receives the bulk of the media exposure.