What’s wrong with Radio

[Carl.]

The following link is for an interesting article I found reading the L.A. Times. To access the article online, you may need to register. So I will try to summarize…LA Times Article on Universal Music Slashing Rates

Universal Music is slashing what it pays to "independent" record promoters who then go out to radio stations to try to get them play their songs. Of course this action by Universal "comes as the government is trying to figure out if this practice violates payola laws, barring radio stations from playing songs for money…"

The radio stations then charge the promoters money to give airtime to the song. Apparently, the record companies are pissed because big radio conglomerates (See: Clear Channel, Infinity) are ratcheting up promotion prices. How can the record companies be pissed if the process is supposed to be illegal? This smells fishy to me.

But that isn’t what got me, the following quote from the article did…

</font><blockquote><font>quote:</font><hr><font>But sources at the company said its labels notified promoters Tuesday that they are slashing promotion payments 50% to about $200,000 a song. Universal’s labels also plan to reduce the number of radio stations nationwide for which promoters will be able to collect fees for pitching their songs, sources said. </font><hr></blockquote><font>$200,000 a song to the promoter!!!!! and that is at a 50% reduction.. What the hell is that??? And Universal is reducing the number of stations these promoters can get money from.. WHAT?? Isn’t radio bad enough, and now they want to make it worse..

Yet another reason why independent record companies and bands have so much trouble getting play. Ugh, the more this information comes out, the more I hate radio..

FWIW,

Carl.

[Chris]

I’m going to have to agree with you about this Carl. Seems very odd that this type of thing is going on. The only few things I can think of to say is that it really dosn’t suprise me. Just look who is going to be on the MTV music awards. If we get out a list of who is on the top 20 in "popular" <img> music that will be the line up and also who all the "awards" <img> will go to as well. The Big record labels put the most money into those <img> "acts" <img> and have so much influence now that it is no wonder it is the same show year after year. I won’t be watching! <img>

The other thing I can say is listen to more independen/ true alternative/ college stations/ public radio when ever possible. I do try to support local bands as well in my area that I think are cool too. I love to listen to people that say, "I hear the same stuff on the radio every day when I drive to work". What do those people expect when they live to be spoon fed everything they know about anything to begin with. <img>

I have steped off my soapbox now. <img>

Carl – Remember the movie "RainMan"? Remember when RainMan was saying in the car "97X, Bang the future of Rock and Roll"! In the movie the "brothers Rainman" are driving in Cincinnati, OH and 97X is a real radio sation that is really more or less at Miami (OHIO) University in Oxford, OH. They claim to be a true Independent and alternative radio station. They play J <img> and anything else that is as new as possible. (I’ll be listening and requesting the New J stuff soon to see if they play that) You can even listen to the broadcast on your computer because they do live streaming. For those of you on AOL, you can hear the station on Radio@aol go to Alt. & Hard Rock and go to the bottom of the list (WOXY Cincinnati) or click http://www.woxy.com/

I don’t know if this really helps, but I do understand where you are coming from.

Sincerely, Chris

[Carl.]

The only problem here, in Southern California, is that the local college radio stations are about 5 watts. They do not come in at all. (88.9 KUCI is one).

Yes, they have a internet stream, but I do not have wireless access in my truck yet. <img>

Carl.

EDIT: We, in the Orange County area, have a new independent radio station, Cool Radio 94.3 (working on a new website, not up yet).. They do have show featuring local, independent bands every Sunday from 9 PM until Midnight.. I wish they could do that more than just one day.

<small>[ 08-17-2002, 07:26 PM: Message edited by: Carl. ]</small>

[AGAP]

I never listen to the radio…well not the kind in my car anyways. I do listen to internet radio though…every now and then. Picked up a killer BEAR game the other day <img>

If you want to help Internet Radio out & help support The Internet Radio Fairness Act that is b4 the legislature fill this out… Support Internet Radio Fairness Act

Allison <img>

<small>[ 08-19-2002, 02:18 PM: Message edited by: Valentine Frankenstein ]</small>

[Bucky Ramone]

Must say that I listen to the radio a lot, during daytime (at work) some non-descript Dutch popular station (top 40/oldies), because I am not the only one working in the room, but when everyone is gone (yes, I like working late… <img> ) I start playing my own cd’s…. <img>

There are a couple of quite cool Belgian stations I listen to a lot, they got quite decent late night shows….

[Author]

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