Saturday, June 9. 1973
THE SUMMER DAILY
Page Nine
Sriturdov. June 9. 1973 THE SUMMER DAILY Page Nine
MUSIC BIZ
Payola rc
By TERRY RYAN
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - The record industry is shudder-
ing as reports surface of payola, drugs, and or-
ganized crime connection and misuse of funds.
A federal graiid jiry and offices of district at-
torneys in Manhtittan and Los Angeles are looking
into the music business. One recording industry
figure has fallen, and people in the field see
troubled days ahead.
"THE REPORTS SAY all record companies are
being quietly investigated. I believe that is going
to happen," said Herb Helman, head of public rela-
tions for RCA Records. "At this point, I think
every company should take a very low profile."
The payola scandals of the late 1950s rocked the
music world with liquor and free vacations to con-
vince disk jockeys to play their records. Such
exposure can increase sales.
The record companies and broadcasters insist
such practices have ceased. But some reports in-
dicate they persist with a new twist: cocaine and
marijuana are sometimes the inducement now.
INSISTING ON ANONYMITY for himself and
all concerned, a disk jockey recently with an FM
station in Boston explained how it works on one
level:
"The promo man comes in maybe once or twice
a month with a stack of cuts they are pushing.
He says something like, 'Want to smoke some
good grass?' or 'Want to do some coke?' You
go in back and smoke a little or whatever. When
he leaves, he leaves a little behind."
The former disk jockey said such scenes were
fairly common. The promotion men told him they
used "medical expenses" to cover the cost of drugs
on their expense accounts, he added.
HOW WIDESPREAD such activities are can-
SCANDAL
cks CBS
not be stated. But payola on a grander scale was
reported this week by sources close to a federal
grand jury meeting in Newark, N.J.
Those sources said David Wvoihaw, until two
months ago director of artist relations for Co-
iinbia Records, told members of a federal Organ-
ized Crime Strike Force that the company budget-
ed $250,000 a year for payoffs to promote Colum-
bia's stable of black pop and rock singers.
Wynshaw said part of the money went to bribe
the publishers of weekly tip sheets that supposedly
keep radio stations informed of the latest "hot"
records and part of it went to black disk jock-
eys, the sources said.
THE COLUMBIA Broadcasting System, owner of
Columbia Records, issued a statement Wednesday
saying it "had no evidence whatsoever of wrong-
doing" and had appointed its law firm to conduct
an inquiry.
CBS last week fired Columbia Records Presi-
dent Clive J. Davis, a powerful and highly regard'
ed industry figure, and announced it was suing
him for $94,000 allegedly misapprorpriated from
company funds.
Although CBS denied Dlavis' dismissal had any-
thing to do with the grand jury's probe, Davis was
Wynshaw's boss; any many industry insiders doubt
he was fired exclusively for the reason stated.
A FEDERAL OFFICIAL connected with the
grand jury revealed another side of that investi-
gation Wednesday: the role of organized crime.
Underworld operatives have muscled into the
scene by forcing singers and groups to hire them
as agents, the official said.
Without naming artists or record companies, he
said the grand jury is looking into reports that
some companies have sanctioned the mob influence
to keep temperamental stars from disagreeing with
corporate decisions or starting contract disputes.
FENNY LYNN of Berkley, Calif. tends her sidewalk "guerrilla
garden". Residents of Berkley began turning their front yards
into gardens as a protest against the high food prices in their
supermarkets.
Beating inflation with
guerrila gardening
BERKELEY, Calif. (M) - Neat
rows of lettuce, broccoli, a n d
tomatoes are sprouting w h e r e
front lawns normally would be in
this university city.
The curbside gardens can be
seen along many streets these
days as some residents raise
crops at home to avoid high-pric-
ed supermarket produce.
They call it "guerrila garden-
ing," although it is strictly legal,
and dozens of sidewalk farmers
insist they've never eaten so
well.
"People are going to have to
learn how to grow their own
food," said Harriet Robinson, a
member of a political collective
which does guerrilla farming.
"Think of the prices and what
chemicals are pumped into
everything we get at the super-
markets.
"We have to get ourselves to-
gether and learn to do things on
our own."
The urban agrarians have to
deal with certain traditional prob-
lems of the business, such as ap-
hids and other harmful insects.
"None of these pesticides for
me," said Berkeley f a r m e r
Ronald Zeno. Zeno patrols his
garden with a baseball bat at
night in search of snails, bane
of leafy plants.
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