When a radio station wants to play a song, do they just buy it off iTunes or buy the CD and play it?

Radio existed long before Itunes. Record companies send cd copies to radio stations. The stations do not pay for the cds. The radio station keeps very exact lists of what is played at all times. Record companies and bands get paid royalties from the airplay they recieve. Radio stations make their money from the commercials they play. Its a win-win situation.

usually neither one. Record companies and bands are always submitting cd's to radio stations - it's part of their marketing, because you have to hear the song in order to want to buy the cd or download it. Same thing for books - if a radio station has a talk show, it's guaranteed to receive hundreds of books a year from authors and publishers who want to talk about their work on the air.

Pay to Play. The Artist, Label, ETC makes a little cash off of each track that radio chooses to play.

Radio stations have cd's

radio stations have to PAY to get music, they acctually pay the artist to play demo's songs ect. and then the radio station makes money out of the publicity and amount of viewers/ listeners...

Radio statlions very seldom buy their music. It is given to them by the record companies, local distributor's, and many times, by the artists themselves - all for promotional reasons.

they get free promo copies from the record labels... worked in the radio business snagged a lotta free cds that way!

All record companies give them CD's.

they nuy the cd and they have a special licisene that allows them to play it

i think they buy the cd and play it