Available for a Bribe

Apparently (and we wait for your shock and, perhaps even awe), music labels pay record stations to play their songs.

We now pause for you to catch your breath and let your tears dry.

This week, Sony BMG (after being pressured by our favorite Attorney General Eliot Spitzer) paid 10 million dollars to settle allegations that it paid to have their releases played. Granted, this story happened on Monday, but one of our favorite music bloggers Stereogum.com posted some great email snippets from the press release about the settlement. (P.S. We would also like to point out that record companies execs should stop using all caps, though admittedly getting Audioslave on WKSS is super-important.)

"Two weeks ago, it cost us over 4000.00 to get Franz [Ferdinand] on WKSE. That is what the four trips to Miami and hotel cost ... At the end of the day, [David] Universal added GC [Good Charlotte] and Gretchen Wilson and hit Alex up for another grand and they settled for $750.00. So almost $5000.00 in two weeks for overnight airplay. He told me that Tommy really wanted him to do it so he cut the deal."

"WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET AUDIOSLAVE ON WKSS THIS WEEK?!!? Whatever you can dream up, I can make it happen."

"OK, HERE IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE AND IT'S SERIOUS: IF A RADIO STATION GOT A FLYAWAY TO A CELINE [DION] SHOW IN LAS VEGAS FOR THE ADD, AND THEY'RE PLAYING THE SONG ALL IN OVERNIGHTS, THEY ARE NOT GETTING THE FLYAWAY. PLEASE FIX THE OVERNIGHT ROTATIONS IMMEDIATELY."

Stories like this have us reaching for our iPod in pride and also reserving plane tickets to see Celine Dion in Las Vegas. Though for the record, we will play Audioslave on our headphones for a bribe.