VIDEO PAY DIRT

I was not surprised to read about the brouhaha surrounding Billboard’s Music Video Awards (Pop Eye: “Billboard Video Picks--Anyone for a Recount?,” by Patrick Goldstein, Nov. 16).

Having been at Casablanca Records, the house that disco built, in 1978-79, at the height of that music phase, I saw the annual Billboard disco awards become the semi-annual awards in a relatively short period of time. It became apparent that Billboard smelled money and decided to strike pay dirt before disco faded.

I never thought I say this, but thank goodness for MTV. If Billboard had a hammerlock on the video phenomenon, it would have gone the way of disco long ago. The record companies should tell Billboard to take their (so far) annual video music awards and stick them.

DON MORIN

West Hollywood