Local artists and independent record labels will be getting more airplay in the
near future all thanks in part to an anti-payola settlement between the government
and four major broadcast companies.

According to the Associated Press, Clear Channel Communications, CBS
Radio, Entercom Communications and Citadel Broadcasting,
which together own more than 1,500 radio stations, agreed to pay $12.5 million
in fines to end an investigation into payola and put an end to the practice.

As part of the agreement, all four broadcasters will provide 8,400 half-hour
segments of free airtime to independent record labels and local artists. The
free airtime would be granted to companies not owned or controlled by the nation’s
four dominant music labels – Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music
Group, Universal Music Group and EMI Group. All the
afomentioned major labels have been involved in the payola scandals which they
resolved with multi-million settlements in the past two years.

In addition to airplay, the broadcasters and the independent labels have also
negotiated a set of "rules of engagement" that will guide how record
company representatives and radio programmers interact. The new "rules
of engagement" are aimed at requiring equal access to radio music programmers
for all record companies as well as transparency in their dealings. "It’s
absolutely the most historic agreement that the independent community has had
with radio," Peter Gordon, CEO of Thirsty Ear Recordings; an independent
record label, told the AP. "Without a doubt, nothing else comes close."