payola
Americannoun
noun
-
a bribe given to secure special treatment, esp to a disc jockey to promote a commercial product
-
the practice of paying or receiving such bribes
Etymology
Origin of payola
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Canadian star took action last November, alleging that the music companies had used bots, payola and other methods to promote Lamar's song, which accused him of paedophilia.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2025
There remain battles to be fought, whisper campaigns to be hatched, payola scandals to be investigated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 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
Ann brought up an important point about the center of payola gravity shifting from the radio to playlists.
From Slate ● Dec. 28, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
