a MUST READ for rock fans!!!!!!!!

[rockeratheart]

I found this absolutely outstanding post and reply at anohter web page. I found it to be very informative and educational so I will share it with you all..First this is the post:




Let me say that I love "classic rock", but I loathe Amercian classic rock radio. What's wrong with the typical classic rock radio format? There is an extensive library they can cull music form, yet they tend to play the same bland 300 songs over and over til ad nausem. It's very lame and predictable, and I can't imagine anyone enjoy listening to it day after day.

Instead of play "Freebird" or "Stairway to Heaven" to death, why can't these stations give the following bands some airtime...

Rainbow
MSG
Coney Hatch
April Wine
Gamma
UFO (Greatest band in the world)
Thin Lizzy (other than 'Boys Are Back In Town')
Saga
Marillion
Montrose
Scorpions (70's era)
Shooting Star
Angel
Black Oak Arkanas
Pat Travers
Tony Carey
Gary Moore
Zebra
Waysted
etc.

...and lets not forget the countless bands in the 80s which I now consider classic rock. Why does the average classic rock radio format omit so much good music?



Then this is one of the replies. Check THIS out if you want an education about classic rock radio:

Valhallen,
I understand exactly what you mean!!!!
Radio in general (and you are also correct, for some reason it is only happening in U.S.) is freaking LAME.
I did some research on "how to start a radio station" not too long ago..there is a trend among most radio stations, they subscribe to a service which provides the programming (a middle man between radio stations and artist and labels) to resolve the issue of royalties that need to be paid for playing their music. These services create "packages" (i.e. classic rock, oldies, 50's, so on and so on - the exception being those with contemporary music - which are very much driven by cd sales and marketing trends. In this forum we pretty much establish that the genearl population is "stupid", therefore what you listen on contemporary radio is what stupid people BUY).
Anyway, radio stations, to avoid the "heaaches" of having to choose (ala carte) songs and artist, they just choose these "packages" containing very similar lists of most popular songs of that genere. Further into the research, the radio stations worry very little about updating these packages (since they have the options to drop some songs and refresh their lists)
What is more laughable, is that they go through "heaaches" (which is actually go on line or make a simple call to this service) to play the "requested" songs during those few weekends (which have been almost eliminated by the "block parties" to avoid having to request the songs as they are being requested by callers.

(DISCLAIMER: i am not sure if it is 100% accurate with most radio stations, it was a research I did and I did call a company that provides "pre-packaged" programming. I have a friend, "a radio" figure, that pretty much has confirmed most of this info as true)
SOLUTION: LISTEN TO MULTIPLE ONLINE RADIO STATIONS AND OF COURSE THIS ONE HERE.....NEVER DISAPPOINTED HEHEHE!!!!

[NealIsGod]

You know what? Those sound like the reasons satellite and internet radio is becoming more popular. I use Live365, and I love it. All types of genres, songs you never hear on the radio anymore.

AngieKay, you should chime in on this...

[Angiekay]

You know what? Those sound like the reasons satellite and internet radio is becoming more popular. I use Live365, and I love it. All types of genres, songs you never hear on the radio anymore.

AngieKay, you should chime in on this...

I'll be the first to agree that radio sucks these days. Same music, same promotions, little creative freedom being given to jocks. When I first started in radio we could play anything we wanted, at least at the station I worked at and I'll admit we were a little behind the times. It was 1989 and we were still playing a lot of vinyl mixed in with cds. The problem with radio started in the mid 90's when some legislators, in particular Larry Pressler from this very state I live in, proposed a communication act that would allow companies to own more radio and tv stations per market. It gave the government less hand in communication regulations, but made way for a corporate nightmare. Radio used to be a service, it used to be entertainment. Now it's becoming a greedy money hungry machine. The order of importance went from you the listener, then jocks, clients and staff to the client period. Jocks and listeners are at the bottom of that heap. They wanted to make money, so they played what (they thought)would get the listeners to listen. Now that's backfired on them because they are it's such a narrow genre now, they keep going with the same format.

Do any of you know why you keep hearing the same songs on the radio? YOU choose them. I'm serious. Apparently when owners started buying all these stations, keeping track of what format you wanted for each station became overwhelming. Thus, the invention of the all knowing consultant. That's how consultants and radio stations pick their songs. Markets do test marketing and surveys to see what people want to listen to. I have no idea how they pick the surveyees. Some they have come in and fill out diaries. Some they call on the phone. What amazes me, is they are CONSTANTLY doing these surveys and the results never change!!

What I do know that it is up to the listener to take their radio back. Clear Channel is getting the message in some markets, esp the small markets. There is almost no Clear Channel in South Dakota. The stations that were here tried their voice tracking and bs and left within a couple years. People in this part of the world want local. My suggestion to the people here, your family friends, etc. start writing to your station MANAGERS(pds and jocks have their hands tied most of the time), to Clear Channel to Cumulus... hell, write to the businesses you hear on the air. As sad as it is, they have the strongest voice. If a client comes to my manager and says, "You know my clients used to listen to your stations, but they are sick of the same music and same whatever...what can you do?" you can damn well bet those managers are going to listen. All they have is dollar signs in their eyes and they will do anything to avoid losing money from a client who is losing money by their ads not being heard.

If you really want radio back, boasting about listening to the internet and satellite's are certainly not going to help your cause. Before you know it, that is going to be your only choice if you don't support it, then what happens to new music? How much new music do you hear on the satellite? Sadly the music industry is in the same boat. They are manufactured groups, nobody is a singer/songwriter anymore. It all sounds the same. It's all cookie cutter. They are no great stand out bands and artists anymore.

As far as radio is concerned, it certainly is a changing medium and where it is going is anyone guess. I can't see radio disappearing forever, but we definitely need the listener support behind it.


Radio Ga-Ga.

[Red13JoePa]

Christ help me, I hafta throw another bone Kay's way.
One of her best if not her best post. That's the most I've heard a dj explain the crux of the problem of repetitiveness on radio these days.

[NealIsGod]

Wow, thanks for that, Angie. Very enlightening. Bands that we like from the old days don't have much of a chance, eh?

[Angiekay]

Wow, thanks for that, Angie. Very enlightening. Bands that we like from the old days don't have much of a chance, eh?

Unfortunately, that is very true. The bands we like came up in a very different musical and radio world. In the 60's radio was only what? Less then 20 years old, esp the FM frequency. They were still learning as well. Bring a song into a radio station, they'd play it. So many bands of different genres got their start that way. Friends of the dj's or station managment. It's so micromanaged these days, it's all in the power of a record executive...telling YOU what you should have to listen to. I think it's bullshit. Stop and think about all the groups you love...how many would have the sound, the looks and what it takes to have to start their careers today?

[JiffyWashington]

Wouldn't it be GREAT to hear bands like CACTUS, DUST, THREE MAN ARMY, GUN, or ATOMIC ROOSTER on a 'Classic' rock station ? Thank GOD I have my 3000+ CD collection to listen to any gosh darn CD I please, and not have to rely on public radio for my music....................

Jiffy

[Rockindeano]

Two words.

CLEAR CHANNEL.. Those bastards are ruining radio..

No need to elaborate.

If Howard is going to Satellite, it is a pretty good bet, if not a sure thing, regular radio dies in 5 years....sorry Angie.

[Angiekay]

Two words.

CLEAR CHANNEL.. Those bastards are ruining radio..

No need to elaborate.

If Howard is going to Satellite, it is a pretty good bet, if not a sure thing, regular radio dies in 5 years....sorry Angie.

No, I really don't think you are, but I guess you're entitled to your opinion right or wrong.