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In the world of radio, record labels play a central role in the relationship between money and content. Just as advertisers want to target specific audiences, record labels want specific people to hear their artists’ songs. Payola, the questionable practice by which record promoters pay deejays to play particular records, was rampant during the 1950s as record companies sought to guarantee record sales. In response, radio management took control of programming. Managers argued that if individual deejays had less impact on which records were played, they would be less susceptible to bribery. Despite congressional hearings and new regulations, payola persisted. Record promoters showered their favors on a few influential, high-profile deejays, whose backing could make or break a record nationally, or on key program managers in charge of Top 40 formats in large urban markets. Recently, the FCC has stepped up enforcement of payola laws.