FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein weighed in with a warning that the Commission is serious about prosecuting broadcasters who violate payola regulations. “We can’t let any violators get away with a slap on the wrist,” he said in a prepared statement this afternoon.
This morning, New York attorney general Elliot Spitzer’s office said it was bringing a lawsuit against Entercom, accusing the radio group of payola violations. Entercom has said it expects a fair resolution to the charges in court.
Adelstein’s statement said that Spitzer’s investigation is “piling evidence on top of evidence of the widespread abuse of the public trust. Given the voluminous documents pointing to major, systematic violations of FCC rules, the penalties should be commensurate with the crime. We can’t let any violators get away with a slap on the wrist.”