PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Accused WYEP indie promoter under investigation for payola
by Chris Holm Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2004 at 7:14 PM
chris@indypgh.org

The indie promoter Michele Clark that WYEP will neither confrim or deny being involved with yet appears on her list of stations on her website, is under investigation for payola.

This is a follow up to the following stories.

http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/news/2003/05/6612.php

http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/news/2003/09/8827.php

http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/news/2003/09/9049.php

http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/news/2004/11/16339.php

New York Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer has begun investigation of Michele Clark the indie promoter that WYEP not only was listed as one of her stations on her web site, but whose playlist rotation has been as high as 63% Michele Clark promoted artists, for payola which is bribery to play songs.

Since my last article, WYEP has been removed again from her website, yet was on it only 3 weeks ago.

It also appears WYEP has taken off their "rotation" list of music currently in rotation which showed which artists were getting substancial play, a center piece of the new WYEP, only playing certain artists and mysteriously only playing certain releases of certain artists, while excluding others.

Again, indie promotion is a loop hole in the payola law started in the 60's and a bill introduced by Senator Feingold (D) Wisconsin would make this illegal.

WYEP's "mix" reflects a high percentage of artists promoted by Michele Clark, and when asked to do an interview regarding their programing, they refused.

The Post Gazzette was alerted to this 3 years ago, and the City Paper 2 1/2 years ago, yet all remain quiet on the issue, yet WYEP stills promotes itself touting it's independence, yet not only does that appear to be false, but the true source of the bulk of their repertoire may be illegal.

WYEP has refused accountabilty of their programing policies, and without an open book transperancy, can easliy slip in an out of unethical business dealings when the heat is either on or off, and will be open to what ever new scam comes down the pipe in the future that slips greasily past the law.

Since they no longer list the artists in rotation, I checked their current playlist and counted 30 M.C. promoted artists in one day, just from memory.



http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6590977?pageid=rs.News&pageregion=double1&rnd=1101330144480&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1040

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