The FCC has all but concluded its investigation of payola, with four leading radio chains agreeing to pay $12.5 million to make the commission go away. Read the LA Times' story by Jim Puzzanghera here. And in a separate deal with the American Association of Independent Music, they pledged to give equal access to indie-music promoters and to reserve about 8,400 half-hour segments of airtime for indie artists. But even if pay-for-play corruption were eradicated, chances are good that local radio stations' playlists will continue to be dominated by major-label artists -- regardless of talent. Read more at the Bit Player blog. (The photo at left is the cover of a 1988 novel by Gerry Cagle, a radio programmer turned journalist.)