Ever been annoyed from that song that just keeps getting re-played on the radio? (Can we say Kelly Clarkson for one?) After an 11-month investigation headed by New York?s attorney-general Eliot Spitzer, they found it?s not a mystery; underneath some overly played songs lies another big, fat corporate scandal.

?Radio stations are airing music because they are paid to do so in a way that hasen?t been disclosed to the public,? Spitzer said.

?The attorney-general said his office found evidence Sony BMG paid for vacation packages and electronics for radio programmers. It also paid for contest giveaways, some operational expenses, and hired independent promoters to pay radio stations to get more air play for its artists,? reported CBC.ca.

Sony BMG is the trunk that has branches of record labels including Arista, Columbia, and So So Def Records. Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, OutKast, Pink, and Sarah McLachlan are some of Sony?s commercial products.

According to the Wall Street Journal about 12 executives have been let go at Sony BMG.

Since the beans have been spilt, the $10 million dollars Sony BMG was giving to radio stations to play their artists is now going to New York?s non-profit groups that support music education and appreciation.

Sadly, Sony is one of many corporate-monsters with their greedy hands in the criminal-cookie jar. Spitzer?s investigation also uncovered documents, e-mails, and other evidence of similar misconduct from Warner Music, Universal Music Group, and EMI. This probe is not done.

Spitzer said ?these practices are pervasive,? reported CBC.ca.

In fact, its so bad that, ?this is a potentially massive scandal,? said Johnathan Adelstein, head of the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In case you were shocked like I was, and you?re young like I am, this sort of krap has happened before in the 1950s and 60s.

When will people learn? Perhaps the compliance officer Sony has now hired will straighten them out.

Related posts:

1. Radio Stations Stop Playing Chris Brown’s Music
2. Sony, BMG Ready to Become One
3. Osbournes Splitting with Sony

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance