meta-roj

[with a nod to john foxworthy, who’s been leading the charge on 97 radio]

from wwlp tv, a story [windows media, internet explorer only] on the 97 radio scam with a positive twist. since they’re leaving out anyone who won’t play with windows media or microsoft browsers, a transcript follows:

anchor

a local alternative rock and roll band has found themselves on the pages of rolling stone magazine. this pubilicty has the group from franklin county reaching new heights, but as 22 news reporter jeff sealy tells us, it all started when the group fell victim to a publicity scam

jeff sealy

an opportunity for rock and roll bands: for a one thousand dollar fee, tour the gulf coast during spring break playing in front of the college crowds. flight, accomodations and a shot at stardom included.

leslie pasco, lead singer, promize

in exchange for $200 a band member, you’d also get six months of representation in terms of sending your cd out to labels, radio stations, etcetera. i mean, it was just… it looked like a really great opportunity.

jeff sealy

the organizers, the arizona-based 97 radio, checked out with the better business bureau, so the band promize signed on and paid their $1000. but when it was time to fly south, 97 radio hadn’t been heard from and they couldn’t be reached. then the band realized

leslie pasco, lead singer, promize

there’s something really wrong with this

jeff sealy

with a simple search of 97 radio on the internet, promize found out that hundreds of other bands had been scammed by the same ad.

david manning, drummer, promize

so we got all these bands together, and it turned out that it was probably in the millions. some people were taken for 30… 40 thousand dollars at a shot. now the fbi has assigned two guys to the case.

jeff sealy

since, the culprits have been identified by the fbi, promize and all the other bands are still waiting for their refunds, but in th emeantime, rolling stone magazine has taken an interest in the story, and a recent article featuring promize’s efforts to uncover the scam has brought them some positive attention.

david manning, drummer, promize

we have radio stations calling us, record labels… rolling stone is doing another article next month. it’s probably the best thousand dollars we ever spent in our lives.

jeff sealy

jeff sealy, 22 news.

anchor

but the band does still want their thousand dollars back. they’ve got cd out and are currently playing in venues around the state.

the video does feature a screenshot of the original post – a split-second of mostly my [in]famous open-ended tongue-in-cheek record-deal offer. word to the wise – check the meta-roj blog even if they do check out with the better business bureau 🙂

i haven’t heard or seen promize, so i can’t comment on the band. when their music finds me, i’ll share some thoughts on that too (this really is about music, y’know…)

since this is a mass-media moment for meta-roj, i thought i’d put it in a new entry, but if you’re here to comment on 97 radio, i strongly suggest you find the original thread. go there. do something.