The Payola Scandal

The payola scandal of the late fifties grew from a concentrated effort by guardians (ASCAP) of traditional culture to blunt the impact of (BMI) since payola long preceded rock and roll. The outrage it sparked was plainly had more to do with related social and economic concerns than the immorality of the practice itself.

In order to better understand the "Payola Scandal" one needs to know of the participants and events that led to Congress's Select Subcommittee on Legislative  Oversight Hearings on Payola and Other Deceptive Practices in the Field of Broadcasting.

The payola hearings were simply an outgrowth caused by the quiz show scandal. Eisenhower personally asked Representative Oren Harris' Subcommittee of Legislative Oversight to look into the possibility of introducing legislation making payola crime. The payola scandal had nothing to do with payola but, an attempt by ASCAP to regain control of the music industry following the first stage of the investigation many station owners made disk jockeys take and pass lie detector tests and take FCC approved oaths of honesty or be fired.