Entercom charged with payola, david field takes the fifth

(BlatherWatch has learned that Entercom CEO David Field has been holed up for three weeks in the Eastlake office's wine cellar drinking Bordeaux. When someone comes in, he reportedly pretends he's talking on the phone to Regis Philbin, trying to talk him into taking the nine-ta-noon on KIRO).
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KIRO and KTTH have been going down like a burning ring of fire, and nobody knows why Entercom has allowed that to happen.

KIRO has three empty host spots- one of which is the key 9-to noon, the anchoring time slot for any talk format. Red-headed step sister, KTTH, which had such a fair outlook after they stole Rush from KVI, has been withering away. They kept Mike Siegel long past his date stamp had expired, then installed two eager, but inexperienced blabberjockeys in AM drive. They've done nothing as Big Pants has sunk to less than a 2 share.

This has been ongoing for at least 6 months and things just get weirder over at Eastlake, folks quit and are not replaced, the news department is held together by a few pros working too hard.

Many guessed the Bala Cynwyd home office and quirky CEO David Field has been distracted by a merger attempt with ABC radio. When Citadel apparently won that, many hoped Entercom would come to and work on the foundering Seattle talkers.

But we now know the real story:

Last night ABC Primetime aired investigative reporter Brian Ross's Payola: The Dirty Little Secret Of The Music Business on the scandal being prosecuted by NY Attorney General Elliott Spitzer.

Payola is the illegal practice of record companies paying radio stations to play their music.  

Spitzer said on camera that payola “goes to the highest corporate levels of record and radio companies.” Ross interviewed recording artists who said that payola was common practice and necessary to gain radio air play.

Seven major radio companies are being investigated and most were cooperating with the Attorney General. Mentioned were Entercom, Infinity, and ABC.

But the star of the show was former Entercom Buffalo program director, Dave Universal who told Ross he was just doing his job and was encouraged by Entercom to shake down the record companies. "Apparently, I'm the poster boy for payola. Little old me," he said.

When asked how much money went through him from the record companies?" he said, "I'd say usually I raised about $100,000 a year... I did really well! I was Entercom's golden boy for a long time."

He went on to say that most of the money went to the station and to Entercom’s bottom line but that it was all done legally because it was payment after-the-fact.

Spitzer insisted higher-ups were involved, saying, "Based on the evidence we have seen, some of the radio conglomerates clearly are participating, and knowledge of this and orchestration of this came from the very top."

Ross said that Entercom CEO David Field declined to be interviewed for the program.

Comments

[Critter]

Michael:

With all the talk-radio stations going down down down, what's going to happen to this blog? Nuttin' left to talk about. :(

[BC]

There's still KVI vs. Air America...

[Brian]

I just have One Question for KIRO , WHat ARE YOU THINKKIN ! WIth Brian the Basketcase Styble. thats it. thank you!

[Lump]

Michael, come on and trot out those KIRO host rankings. Dori sez on his show, he's the #1 talk show host in the NW. Lets' see whose ratings are what. Is Dave Ross in the crapper too?

[PugetSound]

When do you know a Radio Station is dying?
On a Saturday Night the best they can muster up is repeats of the Jack Benny Show.
Now, Jack Benny is a funny man and all...but sheesh this is stuff circa 1948!
Is KIRO that incapable of going against Art Bell, Laura Ingrahm re-runs, and something called 'The Brick' on the sports talk station.
Is there not someone local who could take this night time slot? Dan Savage, someone?
And what does this say about the prior hosts. Management actually prefers running old time radio shows in your spot.

[Andrew]

You mean When Radio Was? My GF loves it don't mess with it - or I'll mess with you.

[PugetSound]

Hey, I love history and all and still fondly recall my grandfather starting off sentences with, 'When Truman was in charge...'
But old time radio is something else on 50 thousand watt station in a relatively major market.
I would have thought they would have dug up some 'Classic Shiers' or 'Best of Erin' ...oh crap, on second thought, you know Jack Benny is pretty damn funny..