Just when i thought i was the angriest hustleknocker going. meet paul porter--the man, the myth, the highly blackballed and probably out of work whistle blower from IndustryEars.com... How this guy is able to rant like this and still pay bills, God only knows.
maybe it's because much of what he says about radio at least is true. Enjoy.
Is the FCC Selling Us Out on the Payola Tip?
Paul Porter
Industry Ears.com
Last October I was a panelist at the FCC Town Hall in Oakland,California. Commissioner Adelstein addressed those in attendance on 'the smoking gun"of evidence that the FCC held referencing their payola probe. Several months later it seems that Chairman Martin has turned the gun into a useless water pistol.
Industry Ears has discovered that Chairman Martin is circulating a broadcaster drafted agreement that will ineffectively put and end to the FCC payola probe. We are urging Commissioner Taylor Tate and Chairman Martin to take a serious look at siding with broadcasters and against children.
The current system of pay for play continues to pump indecent lyrics, misogyny, materialism and sex to millions of teens daily. Next week Industry Ears will share a study that done by researchers from UCLA,Chinese University and the University of Melbourne. Part one of the study closely examines song titles from the recent New York State payola investigation and shows how and why payola is alive and viable.
Allowing broadcasters to police themselves without FCC safeguards or third party oversight is not an option.
Entercomm who recently settled for 4.25 million with New York State once again showed why the broadcast community cannot police themselves. Entercomm during Christmas week sent all employees an on-line payola fact sheet that was limited to a series of mouse clicks in compliance with payola education. Industry Ears discovered this information from employees of Entercomm that found the on-line course as nothing more than a media fabrication than education.
Some of the key points in the FCC consent agreement with Clear Channel, Entercomm, Citadel and CBS Radio are:Zero dollar amount in fines to the federal government for payola violators. The agreement calls for a three million dollar payment to the NAB education fund.
Independent record label agreement that guarantees select Indy labels _thirty minutes a day from 6am to midnight. Essentially a pay for play trade agreement capping off at seven million dollars.
Industry Ears is asking for transparency, education, fines and third party oversight. Payola has been inherent in the broadcast community for over fifty years. The FCC has failed to investigate any of the hundreds of boxes of evidence delivered by New York State. It is time that the private airwaves return to the public.
The series of FCC Town Hall Hearings now seem to be nothing more than a smoke screen for "the smoking gun".
Paul Porter_Industry Ears
