Ethics question ...

[Gator]

I've been in the newspaper business for more than 10 years, so I understand the ethics side of things, what to do and what not to do. But I only understand those ethics for newspapers.

Listening to the radio today, a certain program was about to end when one of the hosts says, "We have to thank the boys over at Podunk Restaurant, who supplied with all of these goodies today. Podunk is one of the best spots around town you can eat."

Now what makes that OK for radio? As we all know, we'd be crucified if we did it in print. To be honest, it doesn't bother me all that much, just wondering if any talking heads out there can tell me why it's different when we're all supposed to be "journalists."

 

[Stitch]

I've been in the newspaper business for more than 10 years, so I understand the ethics side of things, what to do and what not to do. But I only understand those ethics for newspapers.

Listening to the radio today, a certain program was about to end when one of the hosts says, "We have to thank the boys over at Podunk Restaurant, who supplied with all of these goodies today. Podunk is one of the best spots around town you can eat."

Now what makes that OK for radio? As we all know, we'd be crucified if we did it in print. To be honest, it doesn't bother me all that much, just wondering if any talking heads out there can tell me why it's different when we're all supposed to be "journalists."

Does the radio station ever cover the restaurant?

 

[Gator]

I've been in the newspaper business for more than 10 years, so I understand the ethics side of things, what to do and what not to do. But I only understand those ethics for newspapers.

Listening to the radio today, a certain program was about to end when one of the hosts says, "We have to thank the boys over at Podunk Restaurant, who supplied with all of these goodies today. Podunk is one of the best spots around town you can eat."

Now what makes that OK for radio? As we all know, we'd be crucified if we did it in print. To be honest, it doesn't bother me all that much, just wondering if any talking heads out there can tell me why it's different when we're all supposed to be "journalists."

Does the radio station ever cover the restaurant?

Only its beer softball league team.

 

[Rhody31]

It's advertising. The restaurant brings over food for the hosts for a plug.

 

[RickStain]

Radio hosts are journalists?

 

[Gator]

It's advertising. The restaurant brings over food for the hosts for a plug.

I get that, and I get that there's more than one way to skin a cat, but it's something we do not do in our business. If a restaurant gives me a meal, I can't just throw it into my next column for a plug. It doesn't work like that. Or at least I hope it doesn't.

Like I said, apparently it's a different animal in radio.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

It's advertising. The restaurant brings over food for the hosts for a plug.

Right. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but it's certainly nothing new.

I worked at a place where they fired a bunch of guys for trading products and services for on-air plugs.

 

[Ace]

I hear that all the time on the radio here. I'm gonna demand a Baby Ruth for my next post, dammit.

 

[spikechiquet]

When I did play-by-play for high school football, a local pizza place would deliver us a pizza at the start of the game. They were right across the street from the football field and we would mention they sent us fresh-made, 2 topping large for 5.99 until 10 p.m. tonight, and if you order now, you can pick up the pizza at halftime of the high school game.
Crap like that. I ate for free, they got in a plug (along with the commercials that aired during the pre-game show that they paid for) and I always saw people eating the pizza after halftime.
Ethical? Sure. They bought an ad, and the stipulation was that we shilled it live on the air.
Now, had there been no paid ad in the show, and they still wanted me to do this "as a favor", then...yeah, unethical.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

If they pay for an ad, there's nothing unethical about it whatsoever. That's how radio works...

 

[Gator]

If they pay for an ad, there's nothing unethical about it whatsoever. That's how radio works...

Hypothetical: What if rival pizza place pays for twice the ads and delivers twice the pizza. Do they get the on-air shoutout? Seems like a slippery slope.

 

[spikechiquet]

If they pay for an ad, there's nothing unethical about it whatsoever. That's how radio works...

Hypothetical: What if rival pizza place pays for twice the ads and delivers twice the pizza. Do they get the on-air shoutout? Seems like a slippery slope.

It wouldn't have been up to me. It was a business deal. If they had paid more..yeah, they would have been the one to sponsor the pre-game show.

If they pay for an ad, there's nothing unethical about it whatsoever. That's how radio works...

Right, I was just giving an example of how radio works. Maybe it's a trade/pay type of situation that we don't know about. That's all.

 

[RickStain]

If they pay for an ad, there's nothing unethical about it whatsoever. That's how radio works...

Hypothetical: What if rival pizza place pays for twice the ads and delivers twice the pizza. Do they get the on-air shoutout? Seems like a slippery slope.

If that's part of the ad deal, sure.

Radio is entertainment, and this is product placement. I don't see why there would be an ethical issue. These aren't journalists.

 

[Moderator1]

When I did a radio show for four years, arranged by my newspaper, I wasn't allowed to read live ads. They were advertising with the radio station, not the paper, and I was there as a rep of the paper (even though the station was paying me for the show - with the paper's permission). I went along with it, had no choice and it wasn't a battle worth fighting anyway. But it always struck me as a little odd. If a listener hears me reading an ad on my radio show, he/she is going to think that company is advertising with the newspaper?

We had pizza delivered to every show, too. We paid for it. My producer would always wait until I had a mouthful and then say, "And we're back live with ***"

 

[sgreenwell]

Ethics is radio is akin to business ethics in the last scene of Billy Madison. I'm sure that some stations do practice them, but at least where I am, the local sports radio (WEEI) is also the official station of the Red Sox, and gives out plugs constantly to a steakhouse owned by two co-hosts and another restaurant that delivers them food.

It switches to ESPN Radio at night, which is better, but since it's ESPN, there is near-constant hyping of their own programs.

 

[Reuben Frank]

there are strict laws that govern what radio hosts can accept and can't accept and what they have to identify on the air as paid advertising or trade

violations of the payola laws can result in massive fines from the FCC

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/payola-rules

 

[spikechiquet]

When I did a radio show for four years, arranged by my newspaper, I wasn't allowed to read live ads. They were advertising with the radio station, not the paper, and I was there as a rep of the paper (even though the station was paying me for the show - with the paper's permission). I went along with it, had no choice and it wasn't a battle worth fighting anyway. But it always struck me as a little odd. If a listener hears me reading an ad on my radio show, he/she is going to think that company is advertising with the newspaper?

We had pizza delivered to every show, too. We paid for it. My producer would always wait until I had a mouthful and then say, "And we're back live with ***"

Sounds like my case. I was the SE of a weekly, but also the play-by-play guy for high school sports. The one thing different was that the newspaper and radio station had the same owners. In fact, the newspaper sales staff sold radio ads as well, so I never felt wrong reading live ads since they were running in the paper as well.

 

[BillyT]

[/quote]

Ethics is radio is akin to business ethics in the last scene of Billy Madison. I'm sure that some stations do practice them, but at least where I am, the local sports radio (WEEI) is also the official station of the Red Sox, and gives out plugs constantly to a steakhouse owned by two co-hosts and another restaurant that delivers them food.

It switches to ESPN Radio at night, which is better, but since it's ESPN, there is near-constant hyping of their own programs.

That's one of the more milder issues I had with them.

Of all the things I miss about not living in Boston, WEEI is probablly the thing I miss the least.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

If they pay for an ad, there's nothing unethical about it whatsoever. That's how radio works...

I'd wager it was a trade-out, with no money changing hands. It's amazing how much business radio stations — especially in small markets — do in trade.

 

[spikechiquet]

If they pay for an ad, there's nothing unethical about it whatsoever. That's how radio works...

I'd wager it was a trade-out, with no money changing hands. It's amazing how much business radio stations — especially in small markets — do in trade.

Tell me about it...they tried to pay me partially that way one week. By giving me traded radio items. Um, no. Straight cash homey.