Here is why "modern" radio sucks out loud.

[Bake]

Big corporate monsters like Clear Channel buy up all the radio stations. They want to sell their advertising. Their advertisers want to appeal to people who BUY things. That group, apparently, is primarily 28-40 year old women. So Clear Channel establishes a "format" to appeal directly to 28-40 women. Anything that doesn't fit the format doesn't get on the air.

Down on Music Row in Nashville, the writers crank out songs that are designed to fit the format. Anything that doesn't fit the format? "Nice song, but we can't use it." So it goes in a drawer.

This rather bleak summary comes from the former chairman of the NEA under Clinton, and also former head of the Country Music Association.

And it sucks. OUT LOUD.

Think about it: George Jones would NEVER get played on country radio today. Neither would Lefty Frizzell. Neither would Johnny Cash. Instead, we get ... Carrie Underwood. Shania Twain. Chick songs.

The summary was directed at country music, but I'm sure it's the same in other formats as well. And it sucks.

Bake

[KamaAina]

1. Chick songs?!

Patsy Cline probably wouldn't get played, either.

[Bake]

10. Not unless somebody thought she fit the format.

Like I said, now you get Carrie Underwood.

Bake

[KamaAina]

12. And, as it happens, one of the best acts that *do* fit the format is...

...the Dixie Chicks! :bounce:

[Bake]

27. And that is why they got played constantly ... before they pissed off their corporate masters

Their song about "Earl" was played to death. And that's very illustrative of the kind of song that appeals to the under-40 female demographic.

Of course, that ended when they pissed off Clear Channel by insulting the Boy King.

Bake

[Mr. Blonde]

2. Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin stated this pretty clearly

[Bake]

30. That is my favorite Johnny Cash pic ever!!

:woohoo:

Bake

[guitar man]

3. yep

It's assembly line music cranked out of a cookie cutter to mass market at Wal Mart. Sometimes they hit on something remotely ok, but most of it is pretty pathetic. :(

[TZ]

4. So I'm thinking you are a fan of Alan Jackson's

"Murder on Music Row"? I have to admit there is merit there. I haven't listened to Country music radio for awhile now..I don't mind Shania Twain to tell you the truth. But I think alot of country music is being watered down to be "inoffensive"..or overly Jingoistic Rah-Rah brainless "kick your ass" kind of stuff.

[redqueen]

5. And that jingoistic rah rah kick your ass stuff... that's targeted at chicks?

That "chick music" part of the OP falls flat on its face.

[southpaw]

7. Nah... it's targeted at REDNECKS!

Ignorant, mouth-breathing, Fox News-watching, NASCAR-obsessed rednecks.

Imagine if Jackie and Dunlap were real.

That's the target market for the 'jingoistic rah rah kick your ass' stuff.

The other is for Jackie and Dunlap's girlfriends.

[Bake]

8. That comes from the former head of the NEA and CMA

The format is designed to appeal to that female demographic.

Bake

[redqueen]

13. Maybe he's got issues with women or something.

[Bake]

22. To be clear, **I** used the term "chick music", not the NEA/CMA dude

That was an unfortunate choice of words for which I apologize. But the assertion that the format is designed to appeal to that female demographic is fact, not theory, so you cannot say that he has "issues with women."

It would be the same if the target audience were 18-25 year old males, or 60-75 year old males. The music would still be bland and homogenized. Although the 75's might still want to hear some George Jones ...

:hi:

Bake

[Bake]

9. Absolutely.

Alan Jackson is still country ... most of the time. I believe that Larry Cordle (of Lonesome Standard Time), by the way, wrote Murder on Music Row.

ain't it the truth!

Bake

[lizerdbits]

17. They used to have a 1-2 hour show on WMZQ

Can't recall the title, but it was 60's, 70's and 80's country. I think it was on Sunday nights because they replaced it with the Jeff Foxworthy countdown several years ago. :puke: Haven't turned their main station on since. Not sure if you ever listened to it, but they do have a second channel on HD that's 'classic country' that's not bad.

[LeftyMom]

6. All things must appeal to bland suburban shopaholics.

Thus SUVs, Starbucks, etc.

That's where the money is.

[Mike 03]

11. You need to move to the Arizona outback. We hear George Jones,

Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie, etc.. (Not that I'm so much into that--I'm more into Sirius/XM)

[Left Is Write]

14. I worked as the music director at a "hot county" radio station in the early/mid 90s.

You are entirely correct.

It was incredibly frustrating to have fabulous music cross my desk that I couldn't play. Very frustrating.

I was working in radio at the time that Johnny Cash took out his famous one-fingered salute ad in the trade magazines.

[Bake]

23. Do I know you? :-)

Perhaps from Louisville, KY? Drummer?

I played in a country band with a dude just like that ... he worked for the "hot country" station there at the time.

:hi:

Bake

[BlueJazz]

32. Yep...I worked for CBS as a Studio Musician and it used to break my heart to hear ....

..a super-talented Singer or group make a dynamite recording and know it's going to be put "on the Shelf" (Trash-can)

"Ahh..Geez..I don't think this appeals to our Audience"

Sigh...

[tigereye]

15. hell, I thought everything was directed to 13-30 year olds who love saccharine

pop and/or rap.


That's why I rarely listen to mainstream radio- mostly to independents or alternative or college radio. I despise Clear Channel and all it stands for, like the plague.


Have you heard Shamekia Copeland's "Who Stole My Radio?" Covers it pretty damn well.

[mwooldri]

16. What formula all radio stations NEED to follow:

Remember the following:

Ratings by day...

Credibility at night.

It may be the sucky time slot for some up and coming artist to get radio airplay on at 9pm at night on a Thursday but at least there's airplay... and hopefully there'd be listeners, and hopefully if it's any good there's a reaction. If the reaction is good, eventually elevate that artist to maybe a lunchtime airing, and then after that AM drive?

Thank God for the BBC. If any of you listen to radio online, try out their stations: Radio 1 for "new music", Radio 2 for more "easy listening", 3 for "classical, jazz and world music", 6 Music for more "alternative", and 1 Xtra for "black music" (hip hop, etc). If you have Sirius or XM, Radio 1 is on there too. (albeit delayed 5 hours from live UK airing to make the times more sensible). Believe it or not, the Ratings by Day, Credibility by Night formula is what the BBC still follows to this day, well maybe not so much on 6 Music or 1Xtra.. since they're not on FM, but still.

Mark.

(Edited for spelling)

[SoxFan]

18. Two words: Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is a household name, but not one person in 500 has ever heard of Danni Leigh.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

19. This is one reason

why it's very important to support independent media like local PBS or community radio stations.
Like www.kser.org or www.kdhx.org

[Kali]

21. yes

[dpbrown]

20. And that damn 80s music. Hello? We invented the 80s!

If we had all been listening to 20 and 30 year old music when I was growing up, we'd still be listening to the Lennon Sisters.

[Bake]

24. The ones I'ld like to line up and shoot are the corporate marketing types

With their demographics, charts, graphs, etc.

AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH! Bam!

Bake

[PassingFair]

25. Funny....the ads I hear are all for "creditor relief" and ...

male enhancement products.

We must be in different zones.

[Bake]

28. The women buy the enhancement stuff for their men ...

Maybe.

Besides, appealing to the under-40 female demo doesn't mean that the format is automatically the Lifetime Network ... gotta get some guys in there too.

Bake

[PassingFair]

29. ROFLMAO.

Not in this universe!

[Wapsie B]

26. It's not sounded all that good ever since the 80's began.

Boy George, Culture Club, Adam Ant.......... :puke:

[rcrush]

31. I dont even know if my car has a radio

I just plugged my ipod in as soon as I got it. Havent looked back since.