Payola Scandal (jan 1, 1959 – dec 31, 1960)

Description:

- series of congressional hearings held to investigate charges taht record companies were paying broadcasters to play their songs
- showed that Dick Clark had serious conflicts of interest due to vast corporate holdings (3 record companies, 6 music publishing houses, a record pressing plants, record distributing firm and a company which manges singers) --> music, records and singers involved with these companies gained a special place in Clark's programs
OUTCOMES: for Freed --> fired from the Big Beat and career as a DJ is ruined
for Clark --> continued to host American Bandstand until 1989 and had success on TV until he died in 2012 (despite massive evidence of bribery a congressmen apologetically remarked "obviously, you're a fine young man" [rwhite obv.])

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