Pay-for-Play Was Banned From Radio — But Texts Reveal It May Still Be Thriving

[TRENCH 15,450]

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Among the 2,500 text messages obtained by Rolling Stone, several suggest a link between airplay and record label payments

 

In June 2019, Mitch Mills, a senior vice president of radio promotion at Elektra Records, sent an urgent text to Steve Zap, an independent radio promoter who works with a number of stations in the adult contemporary format. The pair are both longtime players in the music industry, and have texted each other periodically about Warner Music Group acts, including Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots, and Fitz and the Tantrums. The June 2019 text shows that Mills was worried because Panic! at the Disco were receiving fewer plays than they had the previous week on a station Zap oversaw. “Stevie … [down] 11 in panic,” Mills wrote. “I just did a 2k deal with you … I need Panic back up.

 

 

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The text is one of more than 2,500 messages involving Zap that have been obtained by Rolling Stone. A number of these texts, covering 2018 to July of this year, refer to conversations with major label executives about promotional giveaways and payments to a radio station in connection with airplay – practices that have supposedly been banned.

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In August 2019, a text from Zap asked, “Can we move Ellie c Goulding to a steady 40 a week? And x-ambassadors to start 5 a day. We need beach swag.”

 

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Similarly, in November 2018, Zap sent a text about the Los Angeles pop group Lovelytheband. “Make sure we kill Lovely the band [sic] til Sat,” he wrote. “5Secords [sic] Of Summer 4 spins away from 1. We already did that promo and they covered.”

 

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“Republic Sweating Me Already”

Zap instructed a station he worked with to take plays from artists such as Panic! at the Disco and Maren Morris in an effort to boost Marshmello, Halsey, and Dua Lipa. (“Can we take off Panic till Sunday. Help Marshmello go 1,” Zap texted.) On one occasion, Zap instructed a station he worked with to reduce plays for the Jonas Brothers to help P!nk (“Can we pull down Jonas. Bros Sucker,” Zap asked. “Helping Pink go 1”); 14 days later, he asked the same station to take plays away from P!nk to benefit another artist. (“Everyone so desperate and sad at Labels,” Zap wrote. “Let’s pull down Pink and Kelly clarkson.”)

 

via:

https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/pay-for-play-radio-texts-1067691/

 

So payola is still alive and thriving like some have tried to publicly say the last few years

this is so embarrassing.... the labels could get into legal trouble again if someone decides to take to to court. Ironically it seems that Interscope [Lady Gaga, Selena Gomes, Eminem, Lana del Rey] didn't partake in this scandal...

[Liz Taylor Blues 18,739]

I love how he has his hands in all the pots.....

[Platinum Greenwich 13,847]

I seriously thought a COCC song had leaked when I saw the thread title... 

 

[TRENCH 15,450]

3 hours ago, Skid Row Cherry Pie said:

I seriously thought a COCC song had leaked when I saw the thread title... 

Hope In Pay-for-Play Being Banned From Radio Is A Dangerous Thing For Me To Hold On To— But the Relealed Texts Show It May Still Be Thriving, Killed Me 

[Chemtrail 3,102]

I stopped paying attention to the charts and radio when Starships by Nicki Minaj went to #1

[Chemtrail 3,102]

Same goes for that "Shake It Off" bullshit by Taylor Shaft

[ShadesOfFool 20,139]

40 minutes ago, Chemtrail said:

I stopped paying attention to the charts and radio when Starships by Nicki Minaj went to #1

turn your location on

[Chemtrail 3,102]

Just now, TheSwaggerAndTheLips said:

turn your location on

she's easily one of the worst of all time, her brain is like a badly made word association game

[ShadesOfFool 20,139]

7 minutes ago, Chemtrail said:

she's easily one of the worst of all time, her brain is like a badly made word association game

all these bitches are her sons! Blocked for stupidity!!!!! 

[Chemtrail 3,102]

3 minutes ago, TheSwaggerAndTheLips said:

all these bitches are her sons! Blocked for stupidity!!!!! 

I've had you on ignore for months tbh, only saw what you said bc I clicked "show post" in case you were quoting me, I remembered your avi is her. I wish you well though lol

[ShadesOfFool 20,139]

3 minutes ago, Chemtrail said:

I've had you on ignore for months tbh, only saw what you said bc I clicked "show post" in case you were quoting me, I remembered your avi is her. I wish you well though lol

y’all he thought I was serious...???

 

good luck with everything tho! 

[Chemtrail 3,102]

2 minutes ago, TheSwaggerAndTheLips said:

y’all he thought I was serious...???

 

good luck with everything tho! 

Of course I didn't, I just didn't join in. I was letting you know so you don't interact with me. Again, I hope you're well.

[knives 2,524]

was it worth it??? bc now everyone wants to bash their head into a wall each time high hopes comes on 

[TRENCH 15,450]

Starships never went #1... it peaked at #3 in the US Hot 100 so this is even funnier 

[prettywhenimhigh 49,330]

1 minute ago, TRENCH said:

Starships never went #1... it peaked at #3 in the US Hot 100 so this is even funnier 

 

I screamed

[Chemtrail 3,102]

Just now, TRENCH said:

Starships never went #1... it peaked at #3 in the US Hot 100 so this is even funnier 

I don't live in America...

[Chemtrail 3,102]

and tbh anywhere it was top 10 is enough to stop paying attention to the charts

[ShadesOfFool 20,139]

5 minutes ago, TRENCH said:

Starships never went #1... it peaked at #3 in the US Hot 100 so this is even funnier 

Also he was replying to my status the other day (about nicki Minaj, no less) so his ignore button must be defective ??

 

but we move! 

[Chemtrail 3,102]

Just now, TheSwaggerAndTheLips said:

Also he was replying to my status the other day (about nicki Minaj, no less) so his ignore button must be defective ??

 

but we move! 

Statuses still show up when you put somebody on ignore unfortunately. This is way off-topic at this point so let's just not, I don't even care about any of this lol

[ShadesOfFool 20,139]

crying cause I don’t even like starships 

 

moving on, the industry is definitely up to some fuck shit regarding pay for play and streaming farms. Travis Scott just debuted at number one (in America ?) with a song that absolutely NO ONE has listened to. Like how does that even happen?