I am writing a book on the woes of the music industry; especially as
it relates to the broadcasting and music businesses struggling to work
together under the watch of the FCC and their outlandish PAYOLA laws.
I need a good reference book that deals with this ( I already read
HITMEN by Fredrick Dannon) that is not too clinical and fun to read.
What do you recommend?

I am pleased that you liked my suggestion of "Payola in the Music
Industry: A History, 1880-1991," by Kerry Segrave.

A performed a search using the Library of Congress Online Catalog, and
this was the only history of payola that I could find. There is,
however, a fictional account that might be of interest to you:

"Payola!
 by Gerry Cagle

Bobby Holliday, the anti-hero of this harrowing and true-to-life
novel, thinks he has it made. Not yet 30, married to a beautiful,
affectionate wife, he's been promoted as vice-president of programming
by a powerful radio network based in Los Angeles. The dark side is his
arrogant self-confidence, exploitative behavior and inability to
resist the blandishments of sex, drugs and under-the-table money
thrown at him by mob-backed record promoters. These sleazy characters
are apprehensive that he will interfere with their practice of bribing
music programmers to play favored recordings, but Bobby proves to be
oblivious to their chicanery. Eventually, however,he threatens to
expose the record scam to the FBI, and seals his own doom. Cagle
writes with great energy and authority (he is a long-time radio disc
jockey), but the net effect on the reader of this edifying tale is
depressing. The novel is timely, however, in view of an ongoing FBI
investigation into industry payola."

Amazon.com: Payola!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0828319251

If you are seeking a copy of the Segrave book, this will help:

AddAll Used Book Search: Payola in the Music Industry
http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/submitRare.cgi?author=&title=&keyword=&isbn=0899508820+&order=TITLE&ordering=ASC&dispCurr=USD&binding=Any+Binding&min=&max=&timeout=20&match=Y&StoreAbebooks=on&StoreAlibris=on&StoreAntiqbook=on&StoreBiblio=on&StoreBibliology=on&StoreBiblion=on&StoreBibliophile=on&StoreBibliopoly=on&StoreBooksandcollectibles=on&StoreChoosebooks=on&StoreHalf=on&StoreILAB=on&StoreMare
magnum=on&StorePowells=on&StoreStrandbooks=on&StoreZVAB=on

Since you have indicated a desire to compensate me, I'm posting this
as the official answer to your question. Thank you very much for
accepting the information I provided. I hope it will be useful.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

believe it or not I read the Cable book. Cagle is a scoundrel and  a
fraud but the book he wrote is very good and entertaining. Thanks for
your great answer.

I have not read it, but this book sounds promising:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0899508820/002-2469854-9915237?v=glance&vi=reviews

I can't access this link. what book is it? Can you give me the name
and author por favor?

I'm sorry the link doesn't work for you.

Here's the info:

Payola in the Music Industry: A History, 1880-1991 
by Kerry Segrave 

"From Library Journal
'Payola is simply another word for bribery,' claims Segrave, while
pointing out that few songs are performed in public or receive air
time and that fewer still become hits. Thus, it becomes a grave
necessity for promoters to grease the skids. This book, by the author
of Drive-In Theaters: A History from Their Inception in 1933 ( LJ
1/93), traces the history of payola, its development, the attempts at
regulating and legislating it, and its practitioners. Notes are
divided by chapter, and the index lists songs, people, organizations,
and more. Much of the information here is derived from newspapers and
magazines like Variety . The result, however, is not a rehash but a
well-documented account that should interest a wide range of readers.
Highly recommended for music collections...

Payola is as old as the music industry and continues today. Contrary
to popular belief, the acceptance of payola is legal. (Only the
nonreporting of it would be illegal.) The recipients of payola and the
reasons behind it are discussed decade-by-decade. The early bribes to
the minstrel groups and vaudeville players are traced, as are
modern-day payments to disc jockeys and radio station program
directors, where drugs are often given instead of cash. Particular
attention is paid to 1959 and 1960 when federal investigators
attempted to eradicate the practice."

while I would have liked more than one book for 15 bucks, I think the
book you DID recommend is excellent.

It looks perfect for my needs. 

Thank You. 

I guess what I am saying is better one GREAT book than five mediocre ones..;-)

hi browserbag-ga!

"while I would have liked more than one book for 15 bucks, I think the
book you DID recommend is excellent."

just wanted to point out that so far, you've only paid fifty cents for
that info, and Pinkfrued got zero . . .

GA etiquette might dictate that you ask her to post it as an anser so
she can collect her share of the $15 . . .

just a suggestion,

ts

okay I am happy with your answer. How do I sign off that you did your job capably?

It might be interesting to get an insiders view.  Go to allaccess.com
and see the references to "Jack".  Apparantly this is a radio insider
telling it like it is!