A different take on payola. " It's a truth universally acknowledged that manufacturers of everything from soap to computers pay the folks who control crucial distribution channels to display their wares prominently. It's legal, and no one minds. Why are Doritos bags stacked so nicely at the end of your supermarket aisle? Because Frito-Lay pays for them to be there. And the Web is one gigantic payola machine, from Amazon.com to the exploding realm of paid search. Which brings us to radio. Payola is..." http://www.slate.com/id/2123483/
yes, its just business....if you look to record companies and corporate radio stations to choose your music, you deserve the schwag they give you. money will always be more important to them than art...there is plenty of great music to be enjoyed that has nothing to do with all that. its just a matter of how important is it to you, and are you willing to put in a little time to find the goods. and be sure to support live music, because for every plastic superstar they are selling, there are dozens of bands you may never hear about burnin up the stage at a dive bar or festival right in you own neighborhood
