A payment made to have something promoted or receive special treatment, especially a musical album or single being featured on a radio station, without being disclosed as a sponsorship. His career was looking brighter and brighter until a payola scandal completely ruined him in the late '80s.The station is being investigated for receiving payolas from various record labels over the past 15 years.
payola
(peˈolə)
n. a bribe. (Originally a bribe paid to a disk jockey by record producers to get extra attention for their records.) The announcer was fired for taking payola.