News stories world-wide News 2009 News 2008 News 2007 News 2006 News 2005 News 2004 News 2003 News 2002 News 2001 About music censorship Artists on censorship About Freemuse Publications Study room Activities Links Press room

NEWS05 July 2004 Spot buys: The new payola? Focus on the history of payola, including the current debate in the U.S. on record labels purchasing overnight advertising time at radio chains and using the time for repeated play of singles A Nashville radio station played Avril Lavigne’s “Don’t Tell Me” three times an hour, every hour, between midnight and 6 a.m. This didn’t have much to do with the tastes of DJ’s or listeners. Instead, an independent promoter working for Lavigne’s record label had effectively paid the station to play the song. Story from The New Yorker Radio Spin Buys Spark New Debate A growing number of labels are purchasing overnight advertising time at radio chains and using the time for repeated play of singles in their entirety -- sometimes hundreds of times in a given week. These spin programs, or "spot buys," have emerged in the past year as increasingly popular tools for labels looking to influence airplay chart positions. Story from Billboard Recommended background reading: Pay for play Payola City Payola - The paying of cash or gifts in exchange for airplay More about payola and corporate censorship: Spot buys: The new payola? Focus on the history of payola, including the current debate in the U.S. on record labels purchasing overnight advertising time at radio chains and using the time for repeated play of singles 05 July 2004 Viva Corporate Control!? European independent music companies slam Universal’s alleged payola deal with Viva to guarantee video-time for Universals’ artists in return for payment 12 December 2003 Independent record labels unhappy with Sony – BMG merger Small record labels fear more corporate control: "This merger is not about economic necessity in a changing market, it is about the desire to dominate and to control the outlets at media and retail level” 20 July 2004 Roskilde Festival 2003, Damon Albarn on music censorship Damon Albarn, Tony Allen and Ty on self-censorship, corporate censorship, censorship in Africa, and music during wartime - video excerpts from the Freemuse organized press conference on freedom of musical expression, Roskilde Festival 2003 26 August 2003 Clear Channel: September 11 & Corporate Censorship Corporate censor no. 1, or just the market leader? A collection of articles on Clear Channel - including the debate on the infamous list of 'potentially offensive songs', which Clear Channel suggested its 1.300 radio stations not to play following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US 01 December 2002 UK: Britain at War Extensive article on how music was "restricted" during the Falkland and Gulf war, with focus on UK legislation and corporate censorship. Presented by Martin Cloonan at the 1st World Conference on Music and Censorship, 1998 01 January 2001 Kris Kristofferson Video interview with American folk singer Kris Kristofferson about his personal experiences with music censorship in USA - and in Russia 31 March 2008 USA: The US rock group Pearl Jam’s anti-Bush statement censored on webcast Parts of a Pearl Jam live concert webcast was left out by the main sponsor AT&T. When the lead singer sang “George Bush, leave this world alone” transmission was interrupted 15 August 2007 USA: Dixie Chicks' triumph over censorship: Five Grammys It was a victory over censorship and death threats when Dixie Chicks 'swept' the most prestigious honours in the global music calendar, the Grammy Awards 12 February 2007 3rd Freemuse World Conference on Music and Censorship 200 professional musicians, scholars, and composers from 22 countries met at the 3rd Freemuse World Conference on 25-26 November 2006 in Istanbul, Turkey 18 December 2006 USA: Dixie Chicks film about censorship censored The American tv-network NBC and the CW Television Network has refused to air ads for the new Dixie Chicks documentary, ‘Shut Up & Sing’ 30 October 2006 India: Album recalled and destroyed because it offends Christians EMI Music has pulled the new album by the American Heavy Metal band Slayer from music stores across India because of protests from the Christian community 12 October 2006 China: Rolling Stones had five songs censored Chinese censors restricted the Rolling Stones from performing five songs when they made their debut in mainland China on 8 April 2006. 10 April 2006 China: The Rolling Stones accepts censorship Veteran rock star group The Rolling Stones will likely follow the beat of China's censors when they perform in China in April concert 03 March 2006 Tunisia/Egypt: Najla too sexy for Egyptian tv The Egyptian music channel Mazzika will not air Tunisian singer and dancer Najla’s new music video because it is considered pornographic 23 February 2006 USA/UK: Media giant claimed to threaten British music “Texan media firm Clear Channel Communications is increasingly casting its shadow over the music scene in Britain,” writes Granville Williams 23 February 2006 Freemuse report on censorship in post 9/11 USA ’Singing in the Echo Chamber’. Music censorship in the U.S. after September 11. New report published by Freemuse 13 February 2006 USA: Rock superstars censored for their lyrics On February 5, 2006, rock music veterans The Rolling Stones were censored during their performance at the Super Bowl - one of the most-watched events on US tv 10 February 2006 UK: Banned group returns to stage They were censored on Top of the Pops and infuriated the National Front in the late 70’s. Now the Gang of Four returns to the stage for a few gigs. Vocalist Jon King claims Gang of Four was banned more than the Sex Pistols 11 January 2005 List of banned songs in Zambia 2004 A few Zambian artists gained further popularity in 2004 by releasing controversial songs, but several artists learned a tough lesson when songs with “vulgar language” were banned by local radio stations and condemned publicly. “Opinion” in Times of Zambia supported the censorship 05 January 2005