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Music, Moneymakers, Minorities And Marginalization: A Statistical Look At African-American Pop Music Success Before And After The Radio Payola Scandal, David Ozmun
Presentations and Lectures
The 1950’s Payola scandal in radio affected the influence of rock ‘n’ roll disc jockeys (DJ) on music choice and potential phonograph record sales. Various broadcast historians who studied radio concluded the situation worsened for black performers after DJs lost their power to promote certain types of music with increased airplay. Program Directors and Record executives reportedly asserted greater influence and the music created by African-American singers was pushed to the margins, thus reducing opportunities for financial success and future opportunities. This study used data from Billboard magazine’s annual Top-100 ranking system, from 1956 to 1963, to test whether the …