Michael Paz wrote:
> You answered your own question here in your fifth paragraph. It's
> really ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. I don't even think the request line has that
> much to do with it anymore. Maybe it's time to band together and and create
> our own cause and boycott all these corporate monsters and make a change.
Paz you hit it right on the head. Money. Money gets you on the air. Eric
Boehlart at Salon has written an excellent series of articles about payola,
corporate behemoth Clear Channel Communications (which owns nearly 1,200
stations!) and the sad state of U.S. radio.
Here are two of them which really answer Sybil's question:
Pay for play - http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2001/03/14/payola/index.html
Why does radio suck? Because most stations play only the songs the record
companies pay them to. And things are going to get worse.
Radio's big bully -
http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2001/04/30/clear_channel/index.html
Dirty tricks and crappy programming: Welcome to the world of Clear Channel, the
biggest station owner in America.
As far as the request line goes, it means absolutely nothing at most radio
stations now. The corporate owned stations aren't even programmed by people
anymore. There is a software system at the corporate headquarters where songs are
selected based on certain metadata. The system generates a playlist and the local
station complies. That's why as you drive around the country you hear the same
songs on "classic rock" radio (or on adult contemporary or country for that
matter). Clear Channel has even decided to eliminate local DJ's so you'll even
hear the same voices with the program modified slightly to sound as if it is
local.
At the heart of our radio woes is the well-intentioned but disastrous
Telecommunications Act of 1996. The relaxing of ownership restrictions decreased
competition and opened the door for Clear Channel to become the monster that it
is.
>From Clear Channel's web site:
"Clear Channel is radio. One out of every ten radio stations across the United
States broadcasts under the Clear Channels banner and the companys approximate
1,170 stations bill a full 20% of total industry revenue. No one is bigger, better
or more intense than Clear Channel Radio....Clear Channels mission is to
broadcast the best programming to the broadest audience providing the best value
to advertisers."
Clear Channel does not care about listeners. They want the broadest audience
possible to deliver to advertisers. So the songs which make it on air are the
ones that are least likely to offend people. I recall sitting in a meeting with a
radio research company where they basically explained that the corporate radio
owners wanted songs that do not illicit strong emotions, either positive or
negative. What a laugh, right!? If a song is too good, they don't want to play
it.
That's why you don't hear someone like Joni on the radio.
If you really want to do something, I think any of these are viable options:
1) Boycott Clear Channel stations. Not just because of their bad taste but also
because they have pulled out of local charities which their stations previously
supported (once even demanding to get a donation returned), allowed animals to be
killed live on air and they are frequently on dubious ground when it comes to how
they treat their employees, particularly where sexual harassment is concerned.
There's a convenient searchable database on their web site where you can check to
see what stations they own in your area -
http://www.clearchannel.com/radio/back.html
2) Write you representatives about repealing the Telcom Act of 1996.
3) Listen to independently owned or internet radio. There are some great DJ's
working on the internet. Here's one site that I'm really digging -
http://www.killradio.org/ and Trust the DJ is cool http:/www.trustthedj.com .
And check out Americans for Radio Diversity -
http://www.radiodiversity.com/index2.shtml and the Corporate Media Portal -
http://www.partytown.com/cmp/ . These are just two of the budding legion of sites
devoted to ending the giant sucking sound that is U.S. radio.
Brenda
n.p.: Groovetech - Seattle
