Payola Claims Lead FCC Commissioner To Ask Record Labels To Investigate Issue

Mike O'Rielly is cracking down on shady business practices in the music industry.

BYAron A.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly is fighting against the issue of payola in the music industry -- a concerning practice that many have made allegations of for decades. In September, O'Rielly previously shared a letter asking the Recording Industry Association of America to look into the issue of payola. In response, the RIAA said they weren't in a position to investigate their members' practices and suggested that the FCC inquire directly to the labels themselves.

O'Rielly shared a letter on Twitter sent to the three major record labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group, asking them to investigate "accusations that financial enticement is in some cases driving chart rankings, album and song sales, and commercial success."

"Such practices, in turn, create unfair financial advantages for some, to the detriment of others. Additionally, artificially and secretly facilitating the commercial success of certain performers—or their management—at others’ expense disadvantages American consumers by undermining access to artists they might otherwise prefer," he explained. 

The FCC is requesting these labels to submit information pertaining to their knowledge of payola, their understanding of the current rules and what rules and laws need to be applied to curb the issue. 

Among the questions are how the company defines payola and if employees are required to be trained in "payola prohibitions and potential penalties." Peep the full letter here. 


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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.