According to the Incheon Police Agency on the 21st, Anonymous person, ‘J’, the administrator for a broadcasting station music chart website, has been charged with manipulating their music chart. ‘J’ has been charged with suspicion of accepting bribes of approximately $570,000 USD in total from 6 different rookie artists. Additionally, a PD from a radio station and a number of artists have been brought in for receiving bribes to play songs from specific artists, as well.
A person in the music industry spoke, “It’s shocking. I cannot believe the fact that this is happening in real life“.
The current model in the music industry makes it hard for senior and rookie musicians to survive, but these unethical actions may bring down the system as a whole. The industry is shocked that people are paying their way into popularity and profits.
A producer in the industry spoke, “although success seems very urgent, there are things you just don’t do. Without business morality, there is no fair competition, either”. Another commented, “Is a world where promise of success is given with money, whereas artists without money all disappear, what you desire?”, sharing his concern.
A model for competition with purely music, not by ranks and popularity seems to be in desperate need to stop this situation from recurring.
On another hand, 4 program directors were booked at the Incheon Police Agency for receiving bribes of approximately $143,000 USD from about 100 rookie musicians, in exchange for featuring them on M/V programs, shows, and more, from April of 2009 to May of this year.
The police reported that there were also 12 radio music program PD’s that played songs at least once a week, and sometimes a maximum of 4 times a day, of 20 rookie artists for approximately $47,500 USD. There were even 6 affiliates that received money, but gave false reports that they played the specified songs when they did not actually air.
The police reported that they have also brought in the artists and 6 managers that bribed the music chart website administrator for approximately $380,000 USD + valuables for malpractice.
More than 100 people have been confirmed to have wired money to the 29 arrested radio station and TV broadcasting station producers. Most of these people denied the actions, and confessed only after the evidence was put in their face. But even then, it is reported that they wanted to keep the fact from surfacing to the public.
The police believe that if they were to track down direct cash exchanges, which is difficult to do, there would be even more cases of bribery.
The police plan to broaden their investigation scope to all sorts of artists and TV broadcasting affiliates.
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