Elliot Spitzer, who may actually be Superman in his off hours, has settled yet another payola case, this time against Universal Music Group. The probe, led by Spitzer, found that UMG had used vacations, electronics and other bribes to convince DJ's and station executives to play selected songs from the UMG catalog. The company didn't admit guilt, but acknowledged "various employees and independent promoters acting on behalf of the company" engaged in the illegal practice, Spitzer said, according to the Associated Press.
The $12 million dollar settlement will be pledged to charity, with an additional $100,000 being set aside to help pay for the cost of the investigation.
Spitzer's trailblazing on the payola issue has also led to wider investigations. FCC officials recently confirmed that the agency had requested documents from Clear Channel Communications Inc., CBS Radio Inc., Entercom Communications Corp. and Citadel Broadcasting Corp., according to the Los Angeles Times.
