Quote:
Originally posted by Cynthetiq
why did the formats become gentrified like the rest of america?
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(note: all below is my personal opinion.)
Personally, I believe a lot of that happened when Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act in '96 which drastically raised the number of stations that one company could hold. When Clear Channel took over a large amount of radio stations, a lot of the independent owners lost out - and it became solely about the money. (Note: I understand that all radio stations are about money and advertising, but I believe it was to a greater extent when CC took over.) The risk of playing a song that doesn't fit the format is that you'll lose listeners, and the fear that once they change the dial, they aren't going to go back - thus a loss in advertising revenue.
The fucked up thing is that, as I understand it, the CC radio stations ARE playing the songs that people want to hear - they do extensive focus groups, playing snippets ("hooks") of songs to people and asking if they'd listen to that song again if they heard it on the radio. The problem is - who's deciding those songs in the first place? That's where the "payola workaround" comes into play, with promoters working hard to get their artists' songs on the radio.
I still truly believe that nobody understands, appreciates, and seeks out music like radio DJs. And way back when, they were the ones willing to take the risks and to play a new or different song to their audience. There is TONS of great new (and old) music out there that nobody will ever hear, because they don't have the $$ to get it on the radio. And I really do believe that if it was good and if it fit the format, people would listen. I think we're just all complacent - it's so easy to listen to what they spoonfeed us, because for the most part, it DOES sound good. There's just so much MORE out there.
There are still options out there if you want to hear more diverse music - but you gotta search for it. In NY, I listen to college radio - specifically
WFUV, but then again, that fits my favorite type of music (folk/rock). In California - I'm not positive, but I think that
Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW still mixes things up a bit.
There are other stations, but most of the ones I recommend are going to be in the folk/rock/jazz genre.
The one I always recommend, again and again, is an online-only station,
Radio Paradise. It's not only a commercial-free, listener-supported indie radio station, but it has an excellent website where you can check out old playlists, rate currently playing tracks and comment on them, and even rate songs that are in consideration for addition to the station.
Again, just my opinions, feel free to comment. Thebeat, I was surprised when you said that Z100 is actually a very liberal station - but I wonder if it's because they are one of those stations that really set the trend for other CC stations across the country?