Radio Will Stop Playing Music

[Commentary] Stations are threatening to flip to talk, religion and sports. Or even worse, only play hit songs. Why? The music industry wants radio to pay for playing music. Radio stations currently pay the songwriters and publishers of songs, but not the artists performing the work (which often is different from the songwriter). Of course radio should pay. Part of the reason why songs become popular is because of the performers. However, it may be too little too late. The coffers have dried up. If radio is really 'promotional' for record labels, then maybe the labels should pay radio stations every time a song is played? Oh right, program directors asked for that once upon a time, and the labels coughed it up. It's called payola.