Univision Radio agreed to pay $1 million to settle an...
Univision Radio agreed to pay $1 million to settle an FCC payola probe and entered a settlement with the Justice Department, in an investigation that the agencies handled together, the commission said late Monday. The action ends a probe over…
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allegations that the radio stations or employees accepted payment from music labels in exchange for airplay and failed to disclose the deals as required by Section 507 of the Communications Act, the FCC said. In 2008 it began a wide-ranging probe of Spanish-language stations after an executive at Univision Music alleged that he was fired for refusing to make further payola deals (CD Oct 27/08 p8) and the settlement relates in part to that investigation, a bureau spokesman said. The broadcaster agreed to train employees about payola and to take other corrective actions. The actions at Univision Media Group, sold in 2008, involved an “isolated group” of employees who acted without authorization of the parent company, a spokeswoman said, and it has “cooperated fully with law enforcement authorities throughout the investigation process.”