The Deejays

Disc Jockeys

By the 50s influential disc jockeys were receiving hundreds of records to listen to every month and payola was a good way to get there attention. For the indepents with small marketing budgets it was often the only way to promote rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll records. Some had flat rate deals of $50-$100 a record Others negotiated a percentage of sales.

Disc jockeys altered the way hits were made and undermined those that had previously controlled the process. Jocks in unique position to exploit their influence lowered quality

Payola was an open secret the only disagreement was about it's range and significance disc jockeys denied taking it . payola could wreck a career because popularity depended on giving the public what it wanted. billboard wrote the DJ who lets his interest lapse is in danger of having the field pas him by. he will be outpaced by more alert DJs who are quicker to sense the public's music taste and are hip to the developing music patterns."

Disk jockeys were a major part of this changing environment. With local focus and generally unfettered network control, they catered to a variety of local tastes. Knowledgeable disc jockeys were effective salesman of the music, providing information about the performers and songs, boosting their credibility and generating intense loyalty. That made them as much of the program as the music they played. Their rapport with the audience also made them effective salesmen for their sponsors products.

Economic advantage of using records was obvious from the earliest days. Programming was taboo especially on networks. ASCAP believed listeners were more responsive to quality of live music. Even the government believe as it figured it into its licensing rules. Stations that broadcast live music were given better frequencies in the middle of the band and higher wattage. Many artists, among them Fred Warring and Paul Whiteman, felt radio hurt them by causing consumers to stop going to concerts or buying records. AFM tried to pressure them with a contract with a clause that stations always use a fixed number of musicians.

Most powerful were those independent of the networks because they were sensitive to local trends, catering exclusively to an audience they knew and understood in terms of the music wanted played. This would aid in the rise of rock and roll as a rapport developed between jocks and listeners that crossed racial and generational lines. Many jocks chose material they could experiment with or personally liked. Dewey Phillips was a good example.

Many disk jockeys supplemented their income by promoting and hosting local concerts and dances that they promoted on their shows. They developed ties to industry insiders by promoting certain records or artists, making it possible for them to attract big name headliners to local stage, solidifying their reputation in the community.

Being able to sell was very important to black jockeys since many stations the programmed for the black market operated on small budgets this was especially true where the station operated on a time-broker system. this is where the paid for the air timing and then sought sponsors to cover their expense.