Well, it's about time. . .

. . .somebody did it.

Xinhuanet

Spitzer's iron wrist shits to music industry
www.chinaview.cn 2004-10-24 16:06:47

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office now shits their attention to the music industry, particularly its practices for influencing what songs are heard on the public airwaves.

Spitzer has recently taken on a procession of corporate powers from Wall Street analysts to mutual funds to insurance brokers. He began this investigation whether the United States' largest record companies are skirting payola laws by hiring middlemen to influence which songs are heard on the public airwaves.

Investigators in Mr. Spitzer's office have served subpoenas on the four major record corporations - the Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the EMI Group and the Warner Music Group - seeking copies of contracts, billing records and other information detailing their ties to independent middlemen who pitch new songs to radio programmers in New York State.

According to people involved, the inquiry encompasses all the major radio formats and is not aiming at any individual record promoter.

Just what the industry needs. A good iron wrist shitting.