Believe me, if there is talent to be exploited, the record companies will exploit it. If they miss a talented artist, it's simply because they failed to recognize the talent (even the Beatles were rejected by labels), not because of some conspiracy to shut out indie artists and only promote their acts.
I've been involved with the media industry (both music and movie/broadcast) for a long time, and spend part of my time now as an executive in the industry. I'm hoping that through careful and deft maneuvering I can save the industry from itself, or at least make sure that it doesn't take the world of media with it when it goes down. I consider most of what I do in this regard charity work, as it is not related to my primary business interests. Nonetheless, it is much easier to make things happen if you are in a driver's seat. :-)
The corruption and gross inefficiency of the whole industry really bothers me, but unlike some people, I think it can be salvaged even though the transition will probably be very painful for many people. I am in an unusual position because I am not really a true insider, but I wield quite a bit of leverage.