I am disappointed with this poor settlement that has seen no employees named as the instigators of these deceptions and allowed the Universal Music Group pay a "hush" tax.
http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,19008,00.html?fdnewsUMG has illegally provided radio stations with financial benefits to obtain airplay and boost the chart position of its songs," Spitzer stated. "UMG has obtained airplay for its songs through such deceptive and illegal practices as bribing radio station employees, on occasion, to play UMG songs, providing a stream of financial benefits to radio stations, to assist with stations' overhead costs or to provide promotional support, on condition that UMG records receive airplay."
New York's top legal honcho also accused the company, which holds nearly 26 percent of the world's music market and sells one out of every three albums bought in the United States, of using interns and other employees to run fake call-in campaigns to increase the number of times a song hit the airwaves.
"Consumers have a right not to be misled about the way in which the music they hear on the radio is selected," Spitzer told reporters. "Pay-for-play makes a mockery of claims that only the 'best' or 'most popular' music is broadcast."
Lets face it folks we are talking about a company that has no respect for real musical talent instead force feeding the masses with "cheap deal" talent and stifleling the quality artist from entering the market at all unless signed to it or another of the RIAA/BPI music mafia companies.
