The Federal Communications Commission isn’t just tuning into iHeartMedia’s playlist—it’s dissecting it. In a move that’s got the radio giant sweating like a honky-tonk guitarist at a Texas midday festival, FCC Chair Brendan Carr fired off a blistering letter to iHeart CEO Robert Pittman this week, demanding answers about whether the company’s trading airplay for unpaid artist gigs. The target? iHeart’s glitzy iHeartCountry Music Festival in Austin, where stars like Brooks & Dunn, Thomas Rhett, and Sam Hunt are set to perform this Friday. But the FCC wants to know: Are those artists getting extra spins on iHeart’s 800+ stations as a backroom deal for taking the stage?
This isn’t just bureaucratic static. Carr’s probe drills into the heart of payola—the age-old radio scam where playlists get rigged in exchange for under-the-table favors. The FCC’s warning shot comes months after Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) accused iHeart of a “forced quid pro quo,” suggesting artists might be strong-armed into playing iHeart events for free… or risk getting ghosted on the airwaves. Now, Carr’s demanding iHeart cough up details: Which artists are getting paid (or not), their usual performance fees, and crucially, whether saying “no” to the festival means getting banished from radio rotation. The FCC even wants a list of artists who declined to play—and why.
iHeart, in its response, swears it’s all above board. “We look forward to demonstrating… that performing at the iHeartCountry Festival—or declining to do so—has no bearing on our stations’ airplay,” the company insisted, comparing the festival’s promo value to artists popping up on SNL or the Super Bowl halftime show. But Carr isn’t buying the harmony just yet. His letter drips with skepticism, noting the “particularly concerning” timing of iHeart’s festival right after the FCC’s February advisory reminding broadcasters that payola isn’t just unethical—it’s illegal.
The stakes? Monumental. iHeart isn’t just a radio titan; it’s a curator of modern country’s sound, shaping careers with its colossal reach. If the FCC finds smoke, the fallout could rewrite how labels, artists, and stations tango. And Carr’s not stopping here: His office is also probing NPR and PBS over sponsor disclosures, signaling a broader crackdown on media’s backstage dealings.
But let’s be real—the drama here is pure Nashville. Picture this: A Friday night in Austin, where iHeart’s festival promises fireworks, rhinestones, and hits cranked to 11. Meanwhile, in D.C., regulators are sifting through contracts, emails, and setlists, hunting for proof that the radio game’s still rigged. It’s a showdown worthy of a country ballad: regulators vs. radio cowboys, with artists caught in the crossfire.
As for iHeart? They’re doubling down on the defense, framing the festival as a mutual love affair between artists and fans—no airplay strings attached. But in an industry where radio spins can make or break a career, the FCC’s asking the question every songwriter’s whispered for decades: Who’s really pulling the strings?
(source: variety)
