quoted 2 lines It is possible for radio to be more than an ad or music. Non-commercial,> It is possible for radio to be more than an ad or music. Non-commercial,
> community and college station are supposed to be free rom commercialism.
Nope. Just free from COMMERCIALS. They still manage to have 'underwriters'
who 'donate' money to the station. Its the same as an ad, just the
terminology has to be different to avoid FCC violations.
quoted 2 lines It's not always going to happen as many programmers will take the easy> It's not always going to happen as many programmers will take the easy
> route and play whatever everybody else is playing.
That is true in many senses...
The station I worked at was on a schedule of sorts, but there was never a
set list. My show was in another block in which I could determine the
format and the content.
quoted 2 lines Being a non-commercial station which you mentioned that you were, frees> Being a non-commercial station which you mentioned that you were, frees
> you from record companies.
I get what youre saying, sort of...
But the record companies still make records whether the station is
commercial or not...so I dont follow you completely. A non comm station
doesnt have to be at the mercy of the top 40 charts, but they still have
to get the tunes from somewhere...
quoted 3 lines I do have a radio show. I play techno. I know I have a a fairly big> I do have a radio show. I play techno. I know I have a a fairly big
> following but I never get phone calls. One week I decided not to
> announce any song titles. Still no phone calls.
Hmm..
I rarely ever said anything on air except at the beginning of the show
and the top of the hour...and I rarely announced titles...but i did
distribute a playlist which included order numbers, etc. I also made a
point of promoting the show and such...
The local music shops reported an increase of sales in
ambient/techno...as well as increased orders...
Also reported were customers coming in the stores with printed copies of
the playlist so that they could get the spellings right.
I wanted the audience to want to own the music so that the stores would
stock more of it so that *I* could buy more of it.
quoted 4 lines Check with my friends> Check with my friends
> in the next couple of days, and yeah, they had listened but they didn't
> care about the song titles. They are only listening to enjoy and to be
> especially exposed to somethhing they can't get anywhere else.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah, especially the record stores and the like.
I wanted my audience to know what the form was, and to want to own it.
I would review a couple CDS every now and then and 'recommend' CDs I knew
would not be found locally.
You have to create an audience of followers to keep the spot on the air,
and the audience must have a market in which to buy the stuff you have just
convinced them that they like.
Why in the world would you think that non comm radio was not selling music?
It is just selling the music that isnt on the top 40 (Yet).
Billboard rates the fringe music as well.
Plus, look at CMJ...etc etc....they all have charts.
Music stores read those charts...and buy CDs based on the charts.
And thats how the fringe makes it to the mainstream.
Its like that water cycle from gradeschool.
10 years from now the top 40 crap of today will be retro-alternative and
then top 40 all over again! Isnt it exciting?!
But I dont care about any of that.
I just want the damn music that I like right now.
I dont want to be driving 6 hours for CD's.
I have to plan a weekend to go to the record store
and that travel cash diminishes my buying power.
But anyway.
All radio sells music.
You might be all idealistic and say 'Oh, I never sell the music and MY
listeners just love the music' and all that hogwash, but Im telling you
that someone heard and liked and BOUGHT and thats what I mean by advertising.
A thing is presented in a public forum, is preferred over other things...
is purchased...no sales pitch necessary. Maybe he loved the music, like
you say, and that was all...but he still BOUGHT it.
Jasonosaj