Richard Menta writes for Digital Music News on the effect of the current radio programming payola probe in "Radio Programmers Sheepish Following Payola Probe".

Here is the article:

Elliot Spitzer's ongoing investigation into alleged payola practices is designed to level the playing field, giving all artists fair and equal access to the airwaves. But newer artists may be suffering as a result. Afraid that bold programming moves will now draw suspicion and accusations, program managers appear to be eschewing newer artists in favor of older, safer fare. According to Radio & Records (R&R) magazine, the first quarter of 2006 has seen drastic reductions in the number of fresh artists added to radio playlists. In their research, R&R reported that rock stations added 23
percent fewer new artists than the previous year, while adult contemporary stations added 17 percent less. Other formats also dipped, including hip-hop stations, which featured 16 percent fewer new artists; and pop stations, which trimmed new artists by 14 percent. "There is an overall fear among programmers that I've never encountered before," R&R data compiler Steven Strick told the LA Times. "These investigations by Spitzer and the FCC cast suspicion on almost everything. How stations choose music has changed in a fundamental way."

Cold feet among programmers could further erode the importance of radio in breaking new artists, while creating broader implications for the music industry at large. The internet already accounts for a significant shift in the way consumers discover and consume burgeoning artists, and if radio continues to back away from new talent, that could speed the transition. Meanwhile, major labels continue to be at odds with many of the online discovery sources that consumers turn to, particularly file-sharing services. Throughout, independent labels have embraced the nuances of the net, warts and all, and are better positioned to reap its benefits. In the end, the Spitzer inquiries may level the playing field across a broad range of formats, instead of the originally-targeted broadcast realm.