Ever wonder why all you hear the same stuff over and over on terrestrial radio? It's always the same old thing and if you like to listen to a lot of radio you are sure to hear the latest hits, or the same old hits over and over again. If you take a drive from Nashville to anywhere in the United States and the more rural you get the less choices you have. And the further you go the more it all stays the same. Ever wonder why? Because a computer called "ARBITRON" is picking the songs FOR the program directors and in the case of Clear Channel stations – there's actually no local D.J. – just a computer that pipes in the music to be played locally and then broadcast. Naturally local commercials are made at the local radio station but that's about it.
So what can you do to get better choices? You have to realize that WE, the people, own the airwaves…not radio stations and certainly NOT the major record labels. We've got no problem with RADIO being commercial…everyone deserves to make a living…but why do we have to listen to the SAME SONGS all 24 Hours of every single day? Furthermore, we don't necessarily want to have to hear a lot of bad music that isn't worth being on the radio. But shouldn't the consumers of the music decide what they want to hear. After all, what is the request line for anyway? If the song is bad, don't play it. If it's good, then don't play it until it's NOT good anymore! But at least let the listeners decide what they want to hear!
We could all very easily start a grass roots movement dedicated to freeing up the airwaves for variety and to give those that deserve a chance to have their stuff heard who aren't on a major label that are paying huge dollars to independent promoters. And IF people heard a great song that they liked but didn't have to hear it all day long, that would provide more impetus to go buy the damned record. Record sales will go up and everybody will be happy! But we're sick of this over-corporative, homogenized, mocha chino land where everything is the SAME. This is America… we're supposed to be different! We all like the warm and fuzzy feeling we get when we can go get a hamburger that is exactly the same everywhere we go…but we don't want to eat at those places every day of the week—we all need some home-cooked grits and greens now and again. Variety is the spice of life! And if the consumers demand it – eventually they WILL get it!
Steve Moore
