Radio Talk

By Eugene

May 17, 2006 09:33 AM | Link to this

Great…even more evidence that program directors have no taste and take the Atlanta listening audience for fools!

By singlemom

May 17, 2006 10:16 AM | Link to this

I am totally fed up with Atlanta radio. Apparently Elton John is in control. I refuse to pay for satellite radio, so I purchased a CD burner, and make my own music. It’s such a shame, with all the music out there, that we have to constantly listen to the same 10 songs over and over and over and over.
I also noticed, most the songs listed here are hip-hop. What a shame. Music died in the 90’s.

By Whatever

May 17, 2006 10:38 AM | Link to this

At the root of the problem is the music industry itself. Radio is and always HAS BEEN a promotional tool for the music industry. They really don’t care about the listening audience as far as music goes. Though many don’t like to admit it, payola (in some form or fashion) is still in play in many cases. And with Hip-hop and rap being the big money maker out there, radio and the industry will pimp (excuse me exploit), (excuse me promote) whatever is generating the revenue. The record execs are really out of touch and don’t care, they just want their records played and the return on their investment.

You find this to be the case in every major radio market across the country. You think Atlanta is bad? Check out Chicago’s WGCI, where a song can get played 20 times a day.

Listener supported radio is the way to go.

By PJ

May 17, 2006 10:39 AM | Link to this

Why do you refuse to pay for satellite? It has great variety and great choice. If you only watched free movies, your choices would be bland and limited. Why do you think music will be different?

By Jason

May 17, 2006 10:49 AM | Link to this

This is exactly why I’ve fled from FM radio, unless the Braves are on 96Rock.

I now spend most of my in-car radio listening time with AM 1690, Air Atlanta. Randi Rhodes in the afternoon is provocative and stimulating. Al Franken gives me laughs at lunch. Jerry Springer is surprisingly well informed. And the Majority Report in the evening is just downright hilarious—love their slogan.

By phatz

May 17, 2006 10:55 AM | Link to this

Comments like,…It’s such a shame, with all the music out there, that we have to constantly listen to the same 10 songs over and over and over and over. really make me wonder what people expect out of radio?

For those that are music lovers and seekers of alternative and less-mainstream music, I’m surprised to learn that some of these people are just now discovering “burning their own CDs”

Radio is not designed for these people. Radio is designed for the average music listener …the people that LIKE mainstream music and look forward to specific songs in which to sing along with over and over…

Take a look at the CD collection of anyone you know who happens to be a loyal radio listener - it will be chock full o’ mainstream music.

Wake up and smell the concrete - this is the majority - not the minority. Very few people are intense enough about music to spend their free time on the hunt for hidden gems and indy tunes.

Think about this - when the average radio listener is happily driving down the road singing along to the latest #1 jam and then the DJ spins some unknown diddy - what happens? Damn right - the listener changes the station until he/she finds something that is famaliar —- how does something become famaliar? Massive air-play.

You will begin to think like this more when radio means dollars for you. When you spend money with radio, you want mainstream listeners. Mainstream listeners are the everyday people out there more likely to respond to advertising messages.

You are naive to believe any radio station is in it for the music slection props or love of the music genius. Radio is all about money. 100%. From the DJs wanting mad cash for their perceived talents - to the outta-touch, 15-year industry brass looking for phat houses in Alpharetta. Money is the name of the game and that will never ever change unless someone learns how to run a station for free.

Sorry for the industry lesson here - but think about all this next time you bash the stations and their music selections.

By Fluffy

May 17, 2006 11:13 AM | Link to this

Phatz - you hit the radio nail on the head. Radio is for commercials, commercials, commercials. Oh they’ll poll listeners and “pretend” to be concerned with what you want to hear, but if the station ain’t making advertising dollars, they’ll change their tune quickly. The mister finally got fed up so I got him satellite radio for xmas. He adores it and is a happy camper in the car again. I can still stand free radio and am an “all-over-the-dial” listener. Play a commercial? I’m gonna button-push till I find another song. I don’t care what musical genre it is…ALL of them have something to offer…well, except those nasty country stations. EWWWWW!

By dawgdan

May 17, 2006 11:13 AM | Link to this

Good points, phatz. I am a music lover, but you are totally correct about it being a business deal, not necessarily what music lovers want.

At work, my desk is adjacent to our warehouse and I can hear the radio out there loud and clear. Our warehouse workers seem to keep it on 95.5 a lot, and I jokingly begged them to change it after hearing “Ridin’” by Chamillionaire (a song I used to like until recently being overfed on it) for something like the 5th time today. While I understand that playing songs that are hits is part of business sense, why not throw some variety in there? Do we really need to hear TI’s “What You Know” every 1 hour and 42 minutes? It’s a good song, but please! Play the song maybe 6 times a day. Not fifteen. Play a deep track off the album that’s not a single - that may inspire listeners to buy the whole CD! But please, just do something different, ANYTHING!

For those that claim to be music lovers but are unwilling to pay the $13 monthly for satellite radio, let me say that I will never go back to terrestrial. I am an XM subscriber for life. I will listen to 96Rock when the Braves are on, and that’s about the extent of it.

By jeff

May 17, 2006 11:47 AM | Link to this

Isn’t there more to music than people just trying to look glamorous and having the same beat looped over and over and over. “Music” on the radio is garbage, and we’re spoonfed it while it is passed off as quality. I’m not against rap or anything, but when the Top 10 consists of Rihanna, Sean Paul, TI, Lil Jon, Mary J Blige, Yung Doc, and Chamillionaire….there is something to be said about the state of music. Yes, rap has exploded, but that doesn’t make it good. I guess I prefer a little substance, and lyrics that are slightly more thought provoking. Wake up people. There is more to music than looking flashy and flaunting money. Try playing your own instruments and writing your own lyrics.

By msyoung72

May 17, 2006 11:54 AM | Link to this

Back in the day you would turn to the radio to hear what was new, nowadays its all about profit and the radio is in the pockets of the music execs. Its just down right horrible.

By jacob

May 17, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this

bady day.whats that?

By adrien

May 17, 2006 12:57 PM | Link to this

Jeff is absoultely right and the main problem is that now-a-days the record companies are only promoting the “STAR” as apposed to the music. I find it embarassing when some young person says that Beyonce or Sierra(sp) can sing because I know they cannot. These songs are starting to sound JUST alike because they all sample the same 10 songs from the 70’s or 80’s. I’ll stick to downloading old songs to my IPOD.

By uhh...jeff

May 17, 2006 01:01 PM | Link to this

I noticed that Jeff only listed certain artists in his rant about good/bad music. Several of the artists he picked write their own music. Mary J. Blige defies simple definition. Actually, some of the music is popular because it is actually good. The rest is market-driven (but isn’t that the point of radio in the first place).

By Kris

May 17, 2006 01:04 PM | Link to this

Radio is horrible. I refuse to believe that people are actually calling in to request these songs and the lines are always busy! It is called “radio brain washing”. The music is terrible, but if you hear something over and over, you start to hum the lyrics and before you know it, you like the song.

Perfect example, Jamie Fox had an album come out in the late 90’s that went no where and everyone joked about how he cannot sing. Now he is blowing up, but it is the same man and the same terrible voice.

By Big Money

May 17, 2006 01:08 PM | Link to this

Jason - don’t you know huffing paint is bad for you?

By Nickelbelle

May 17, 2006 01:39 PM | Link to this

One of the reasons that I listen to a Canadian radio station (but XM in the car) is that they have to play a certain percentage of Canadian content by law so they play artists that wouldn’t normally get played and there is more variety. Maybe if we had that requirement here we’d get more variety and get to hear some little known artists.

By jeff

May 17, 2006 01:56 PM | Link to this

Best radio station is WRIF out of Detroit

By jeff

May 17, 2006 02:02 PM | Link to this

Big Daddy Arthur Pennhallow has been on the air on WRIF since 1971

By mel

May 17, 2006 02:25 PM | Link to this

I recall reading something a year or so ago about why radio stations play songs 3,4,5 + times a day. The claim was, people only listen for something like an hour… hour and a half at the most at a time. Therefore, the claim said, the station could have a limited playlist because the vast majority of people don’t listen all day long. I cannot for the life of me remember where I read that article, but it was very interesting, in a geeky kind of way.

I think that trend is changing and radio hasn’t reacted to that. I know on weekends I have the radio on all day long (better for the baby than TV) and I switch back and forth between Kicks and Eagle (yes, I know, I am uncool because I listen to country)and I will hear the top 4 or so songs every 3 hours. That’s what I get for choosing free radio over satelite. You get what you pay for.

By JENNIFER JONES

May 17, 2006 02:52 PM | Link to this

COME ON PEOPLE B 4 YOU GO THROWING RAPPERS NAMES OUT THERE PLEASE GET THEM RIGHT ITS YOUNG JOC NOT YOUNG DOC AND I LOVE MUSIC I DONT REALLY CARE HOW MANY TIMES THEY PLAY A SONG THATS Y I HAVE A CD PLAYER AT WORK AND SWITCH UP ANY TIME I WANT TO THERES NO NEED FOR ALL THE BS YALL TALKING BOUT GET YA MIND RIGHT SHAWTY………. HOLLA

By TruthHurts

May 17, 2006 03:02 PM | Link to this

Jennifer Jones- you need to learn to spell and speak intelligently, you hood rat!

By phatz

May 17, 2006 03:41 PM | Link to this

It’s interesting that folks are singing the praises of XM vs. traditional radio. In my experience (and feel free to correct me), XM plays a lot of the same repitition as well. The only diff is less commercials, but it seems even that is changing.

I have had XM for about two years on my dashboard and online; And I listen to RAW (66), Boneyard (41), KISS (21) and some reggae and electronica when I’m feelin’ funky. It seems they all play a lot of the same songs and rarely dig deep into lesser known tracks. It’s still the “best” songs of the particular genre.

CDs is the way to go. Online services that let you download songs and albums rock. You can make your own playlists, CD comps and get great playlist ideas from other like-minded people via the internet and word-of-mouth…

Just like anything else the true music lovers will seek the “truth” and the masses will continue to take the path to least resistance and just enjoy whats offered. …but there is value in that.

The intelligent approach is knowing the difference and the benefits of each school.

By Dookie-Boy

May 17, 2006 04:12 PM | Link to this

I dont even listen to radio any longer and I will tell you…NOTHING is better than the sound of a flushing TOILET with YOU IN IT!!!!

By Bob G.

May 17, 2006 04:48 PM | Link to this

I gave up music radio about 4 years ago, and now I listen to mostly talk radio or cd’s in my car. AM 1690 is spot on and if you want to be informed and enlightened give NPR a try. The kind of music that I like is not really played on the radio here in Atlanta and my next step though may be satellite radio, I’ve listened to some stations (XM radio) online and they’ve been fantastic. I’m all for variety but can’t stand repetition. Traditional radio will never get me back as a listener. I’ve also enjoyed moments while driving, especially during rush hour traffic, in complete silence. It really does take the edge off of driving and gives you the chance for some peace and quiet that gets harder and harder to find.

By Pete

May 18, 2006 10:13 AM | Link to this

Yes, radio is all about the money. Just look at STAR 94. They didn’t play any (c)rap a couple of years ago, so why do they now play garbage like Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna and Outkast? So young thugs and gangsta wannabe’s like JENNIFER JONES who wrote in above will listen to them. It’s all about what will bring in the listeners which in turn brings in the money from the advertisers.

But then look at the top concerts, how many of these untalented rappers actually make it on that list? It’s all classic rock and country artists. Concert tickets are not cheap so the more mature music listeners are the ones who are supporting those artists. The thugs and gangstas can’t afford to go see 50 Cent and T.I. because they have to spend their money on drugs, guns and bullet proof vests so they can be just like their rapper heroes!

By Bob G.

May 18, 2006 03:15 PM | Link to this

Pete, you can’t be serious. Your remarks come across as being very bigoted and borderline racist. But maybe that’s who you truly are, hiding behind your keyboard. Either grow up or get some counseling.

By TruthHurts

May 18, 2006 03:41 PM | Link to this

Bob G- Pete is right on the money. Ghetto people don’t go to concerts because they would rather spend their money on gold “teefus”, car rims, slutty outfits, gaudy jewelry,and trying to show off at their club or restaurant of choice.