Definition
payolas
noun
- plural of payola; bribes or secret payments made to radio station employees or other gatekeepers to promote a product, song, or service
Usage: informal; often used in the context of music industry corruption
Examples
- The radio station was investigated for accepting payolas from record labels.
- Payolas were common in the music industry during the 1950s.
- The scandal revealed that DJs had received payolas to play certain songs.
- Federal regulators cracked down on payolas to ensure fair airplay.
- Musicians complained that payolas gave unfair advantages to well-funded artists.