In May 1960 an American DJ, Alan Freed, was indicted for accepting $2,500 from record companies in return for airplay.

The practice -- known as payola -- was outlawed after Freed's trial and became punishable by up to a year in prison and fines of up to $10,000.

According to a piece in the New York Times payola is alive and well on the "news" programmes broadcast on American Airlines flights.

Actually, as a former radio talk show producer myself, why didn't I think of charging guests to come on the air?