There’s A Reason Why JackFM Sucks
I’m singling out JackFM for gag purposes - I mean ALL radio.
The FCC has reached an agreement with the big Radio owners (Clear Channel, Entercom, CBS and Citadel) to force them to give more airtime to independent labels, and less to Sony, UMG, and their monolithic ilk. At issue, of course, was Payola, the practice of giving a station money to play Paris Hilton instead of The Dandy Warhols. In a perfect world the music director would play more Warhols, because Hilton is crap.
It’s true that this is all a moral grey area though. Really, who does this hurt? Unless you count killing the spirit of American youth.
To make the area even greyer:
While it is not part of the consent decree, a separate voluntary side deal between the station groups and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) would set aside 8,400 half-hour blocks of time for independent music.
Peter Gordon, founder of Thirsty Ear Recordings and A2IM’s chief negotiator, said in an interview that the “agreement in principle” is a way to get independent music on the air that also avoids undue government interference.
“It’s a private relationship between the radio groups and the independent music sector,” he said. “It’s a chance for all of us to embrace each other’s cultures, and it looks like the best way to get good stuff for people to listen to.”
The free airtime would be granted to companies not owned or controlled by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and EMI Group; do not have a market share larger than 5%; and are represented as independent through sales tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan.
In other words, because stations weren’t picking their music based on merit, they will now be forced to ALSO not pick their music based on merit.
Here’s a tip from your uncle Danny - listen to your local college station. They get lousy ratings so there is no money in influcencing their playlists. Okay, once in a while you’ll have to put up with two hours of Brazilian harp music, but how much worse is that than two hours of American Idol contestants? And besides, no advertising! As for Clear Channel, if you really like something you hear there, download it illegally. These people have to be punished.