Payola fallout: scattered showers.

Reuters reports that Clear Channel programmers now have to document any merchandise received from record companies, saying the stuff wasn't given in return for airplay. Still, only one PD/Music Director has been fired so far (see my earlier post). Nor has Mr. Spitzer announced the next agreement-surrender from a music giant. He's hoping the Sony-BMG deal will set a standard. Or result in a blanket agreement-surrender signing with the music biz. Also, looks like the legal pay-play gambits will end--those are the ones where record companies buy the time from the stations for late-night plays that would presumably influence the automatic airplay monitor services. Of course it isn't cricket. Who, besides Mel Karmazin, ever said it was?