The Federal Communications Fee (FCC) has launched an investigation into iHeartMedia over whether or not the radio big could also be providing airplay as leverage to ebook artists — a apply that will violate “payola” legal guidelines — to play at its occasions.
In a letter to iHeartMedia CEO Robert Pittman, FCC chairman Brendan Carr alleged that “sure house owners of federally licensed radio stations are successfully compelling musicians to carry out at radio station occasions or festivals without cost (or for lowered compensation) in alternate for extra favorable airplay.”
Certainly, US legislation stipulates that any funds made to a radio station to affect airplay should be disclosed as sponsored content material. If artists are buying and selling appearances for airtime with out such disclosure, the association may very well be deemed unlawful.
One of many occasions in query is the upcoming 2025 iteration of iHeartMedia’s iHeartCountry Pageant, which can go down on Could third in Austin, Texas with headliners Brooks & Dunn, Thomas Rhett, and Rascal Flatts.
“As iHeart finalizes its method to this specific music pageant, I wish to be sure that it does so in a means that complies with federal payola necessities,” Carr wrote.
In his letter, Carr requested eight questions of Pittman, starting from requests for details about the upcoming iHeartCountry Pageant to inquiries as as to whether or not artists had been manipulated into accepting lowered charges for his or her appearances.
The letter — dated Monday, February twenty fourth — gave iHeartMedia 10 days to reply. In a public assertion, although, the corporate denied any wrongdoing.
“[Performing] on the iHeartCountry Pageant — or declining to take action — has no bearing on our stations’ airplay, and we don’t make any overt or covert agreements about airplay with artists acting at our occasions,” the assertion learn (per The Hollywood Reporter). “The iHeartCountry Pageant supplies the identical type of promotion that that we see with artists on speak exhibits, late night time tv, the Tremendous Bowl and in digital music performances and occasions: the promotional worth to the artists is the occasion itself, and, in our case, is unrelated to our radio airplay.”
Since being appointed chairman of the FCC by Donald Trump, Carr has additionally investigations into CBS, NPR, and PBS.