Final answer:
The payola scandal involved a Special Committee on Legislative Oversight investigating the practice of bribing disc jockeys for airplay.
Step-by-step explanation:
The investigation that became known as the payola scandal was conducted by a Special Committee on Legislative Oversight, which was formed to investigate the practice of bribing disc jockeys for airplay. This type of bribery involves record companies or their agents giving money or gifts to radio station personnel to play their records more frequently, hence increasing the records’ exposure and potentially their sales. The term 'payola' is a blend of 'pay' and 'Victrola' (LP record player), and the scandal highlighted the corruption in the music industry during the 1950s and 1960s.