Campos Pleads Guilty in Payola-Related Tax Evasion

Salvador Homero Campos, one of the most influential radio program directors in the Spanish-language music industry, pleaded guilty Tuesday to tax evasion for failing to report $100,000 he received in kickbacks to air songs on Spanish-language stations.

As expected, Campos, who was vice president of programming at Sacramento-based Z-Spanish Radio, entered a plea to a single count of filing a false tax report for 1997.

He admitted being paid by Fonovisa Records, the largest independent label in the Spanish music industry. The company paid him kickbacks of $5,000 to $15,000 a month.

By accepting the plea agreement, Campos, 48, avoided being charged directly with criminal violations of the U.S. payola statute that prohibits broadcasters from taking money for playing songs without disclosing the payment to listeners.

U.S. District Judge Dickran Tevrizian set sentencing for May 7. Campos could receive a fine of $250,000 plus three years in prison.

As reported in The Times on Tuesday, Campos admitted receiving money to air songs on a dozen Spanish-language stations in California, Arizona, Texas and Illinois.

Campos stopped working for Z-Spanish radio late last year. The songs were heard on Spanish-language music stations across California and the United States from 1995 to 1997.

Campos’ case is the result of a payola probe launched three years ago after lawyers representing Fonovisa contacted the Justice Department to report improprieties within the company’s own radio promotion department. Fonovisa is a subsidiary of Mexican media giant Grupo Televisa.