payola

American  

[pey-oh-luh] / peɪˈoʊ lə /

noun

Informal.

1. a secret or private payment in return for the promotion of a product, service, etc., through the abuse of one's position, influence, or facilities.

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payola British  

/ peɪˈəʊlə /

noun

1. a bribe given to secure special treatment, esp to a disc jockey to promote a commercial product

2. the practice of paying or receiving such bribes

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Etymology

Origin of payola

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; pay ¹ + -ola

Explanation

When a radio station is paid money in exchange for frequently playing a certain song, that's payola. If you bribe your local disc jockey to feature your latest hip hop track on her morning show, it's payola. Any media exposure that's secretly paid for is considered payola, although it's most common in the music industry. Radio stations can be legally paid to play music, but that has to be made clear during the broadcast — otherwise, it's illegal. The word payola, from "pay off," has been around since the 1930s, and in 1959, the US Senate launched the Congressional Payola Investigations, making payola a legal term (and a misdemeanor).

Example Sentences

In papers filed in New York, Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, accused the companies of engaging in an illegal ”scheme” involving bots, payola and other methods to promote Lamar’s song.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2024

Mr. Rupe cited payola — bribery of disc jockeys — as a reason that he gradually lost interest in the music business.

From Washington Post • Apr. 15, 2022

“What we saw happening was a modern form of payola, where cable companies and building owners were colluding to keep out competition,” said San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 16, 2021

Artist advocate Krukowski describes the offering as a new kind of payola.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2021

It affords them more leverage in their negotiations with record companies, and potentially could let them profit on giving certain songs a boost, without much transparency, like a new digital payola.

From Slate • Dec. 25, 2017