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Itsme · 10-20-2005, 10:55 AM

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From today's North County Times:

Local programmer Diana Laird, the poster girl for alleged payola in the radio industry, is no longer with the company.

Laird, as you recall, had been in charge of San Diego radio station Channel 933. Her abrasive personality hardly made her the most popular radio boss with employees, but Clear Channel clearly thought she was effective. That is until last summer, when the New York attorney general issued a report accusing her and others of taking goodies in exchange for radio airplay.

According to the report, Laird allegedly allowed Sony BMG's Epic Records to bribe her in November 2002 with a 32-inch plasma TV worth $3,325. A record company executive allegedly disguised the gift as a contest prize for a Channel 933 "winner" who was actually a friend of Laird's.

At the time, Clear Channel declined to comment about her status but said it has "zero tolerance" for illegal activities. (Radio station bribes, known as "payola," are against the law.)

Apparently, Laird herself never answered the allegations publicly.

A few months passed. And then last week, Clear Channel announced that it had sacked two programmers. The Radio & Records industry journal identified Laird as one of them.

10-20-2005, 10:55 AM	#18
Itsme Vice Admiral Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 4,813	==================== From today's North County Times: Local programmer Diana Laird, the poster girl for alleged payola in the radio industry, is no longer with the company. Laird, as you recall, had been in charge of San Diego radio station Channel 933. Her abrasive personality hardly made her the most popular radio boss with employees, but Clear Channel clearly thought she was effective. That is until last summer, when the New York attorney general issued a report accusing her and others of taking goodies in exchange for radio airplay. According to the report, Laird allegedly allowed Sony BMG's Epic Records to bribe her in November 2002 with a 32-inch plasma TV worth $3,325. A record company executive allegedly disguised the gift as a contest prize for a Channel 933 "winner" who was actually a friend of Laird's. At the time, Clear Channel declined to comment about her status but said it has "zero tolerance" for illegal activities. (Radio station bribes, known as "payola," are against the law.) Apparently, Laird herself never answered the allegations publicly. A few months passed. And then last week, Clear Channel announced that it had sacked two programmers. The Radio & Records industry journal identified Laird as one of them.