Rock and Roll PING! email Weegee to get on/off this list (or grab it yourself to PING the rest)
Posted on 01/19/2005 7:06:55 PM PST by weegee
...The latest casualty turned up last week. WHFS-FM, the "alternative" station that pioneered free-form rock radio in Washington in the 1960s and '70s, abruptly pulled the plug on rock and began carrying Spanish-language pop. The move by WHFS's owner, Infinity Broadcasting, left the Washington region -- a radio market of more than 4 million people -- with just one area-wide station, DC-101 (WWDC-FM), playing contemporary rock.
In economic terms, the move made perfect sense. So-called urban -- black-oriented R&B hits and hip-hop -- and ethnic formats have been the radio industry's growth engine. Among these, Spanish-language programming has been the fastest growing of all over the past five years, according to Arbitron, the audience-research company.
[snip]
But for stations specializing in rock alone, the market may be evolving into something akin to daily newspapers: One to a city, with little room for a second competitor.
[snip]
"People who run stations can't make the music better or more mass-appeal. We are, ultimately, in the business of distributing what the music industry produces, and we can't take a mediocre product and make it sound great."
But album sales figures show a somewhat more ambiguous case. Although only two albums by rock acts -- Evanescence and U2 -- were among the 20 bestsellers of 2004, rock's share of overall album sales has actually grown during the past five years from 16.1 percent to 19.8 percent of the total, according to Geoff Mayfield, senior analyst at Billboard, the music industry magazine. At the moment, for example, Green Day has the fastest-selling album in the nation...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
They've shoveled crap for too long.
The only new rock station left in Houston plays "new alternative" (if 10 year old Pearl Jam and Nirvana songs can be called "new" or "alternative"), the rest all play moldy oldies by era (50s, 60s, 70s, 80s "and beyond").
"We are, ultimately, in the business of distributing what the music industry produces." is a lie. They can play whatever they want. It is how Norah Jones became a hit. Two commercial stations trusted DJs enough to let them play whatever they wanted; there was no "single" until it got airplay.
How do the "old hits" format stations bow down to "what the industry releases"? Where are cuts from a new collection of an old artist (including unreleased Beatles songs)? Where are the bands that charted "back then" and haven't been played to death?
Radio sucks and the execs know it. Funny how they all insist that "audiences who want better programming should go to satellite radio".
A simple transistor radio is a great device. Too bad they are going to waste because radio programmers got lazy and codified their playlists to one day's material repeated ad nauseum.
not a problem here. I live in Baltimore and HFS was not the HFS from the past... we have better WRNR. This "HFS" wannabe from the 80's was a joke. Nothing but anti-all that is good and pure. Much like the MTV of today nothing but trash. I say GOOD RIDDANCE!
Rock and Roll PING! email Weegee to get on/off this list (or grab it yourself to PING the rest)
Terrestrial radio is dead.
Long live the KING!
Howard Stern - KING of ALL media!
I agree that WHFS had devolved into trash. However, I hold a soft spot for "HFS" because that was the first station on which I heard the Jesus and Mary Chain - best band of the 80's - 90's.
I'd rather listen to Spanish-language radio than a rock station. At least if the Mexican dj is talking filth, the kids can't understand it!
The new market just shows unlimited immigration into the US from the rest of the world. This greedy economic growth in immigrant music sales doesn’t mean there is a lack of demand for traditional amercing music, for example country music is still strong.
Americans only represent a small percentage of the world population, so of course if the stations are trying to attract the poplar audience on a worldwide level it would make economic sense to dump American music and try to increase the listeners abroad by attracting more immigrants to settle in the broadcast area, more people means more dollars.
Bottom line is that these radio stations have a conflict of interest. By attracting the rest of the world to live here, many of which come illegally and who will retain dual citizenship with their home country and refuse to assimilate by learning English, this is not in the best interest of American culture. The FCC grants the privilege to broadcast to improve American culture, not the rest of the worlds culture.
In LA for example, now AM radio on a just a single popular Spanish station dwarfs all the listeners on all English stations put to together! The blame of the decline of the American culture is with the politicians, and the business who are allowing the unlimited immigration by their conflict of interest to serve the US culture and its people and their greed for more money!
Best band of the 80s/90s would be Poison 13. Without them there is no grunge or modern garage on the radio.
Caca de toro.
Just imagine what the sales would be if critically acclaimed new country music from Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Dale Watson, Wayne Hancock and others got played on the radio.
Jack White of the White Stripes backed up Loretta on her latest album.
Hell what about the new Wanda Jackson album (she even recored two cuts with the Cramps!).
I keep asking, where is Ritchie Valens, Los Locos Del Ritmo, Thee Midnighters, Santana, Los Lonely Boys, et al on "Spanish Radio"?
Flaco Jimenez, El Vez, Lil' Joe y La Familia, Alexandro Escavado...
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
And the touch of a world that is older
I turn the switch and check the number
I leave it on when in bed I slumber
I hear the rhythms of the music
I buy the product and never use it
I hear the talking of the DJ
Can't understand just what does he say?
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
I dial it in and tune the station
They talk about the U.S. inflation
I understand just a little
No comprende, it's a riddle
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
I wish I was in Tijuana
Eating barbequed iguana
I'd take requests on the telephone
I'm on a wavelength far from home
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
I dial it in from south of the border
I hear the talking of the DJ
Can't understand just what does he say?
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
Radio radio...
What does he say ?
Eye, carumba.
I hated grunge. Loathed it. I never cared that Jeremy spoke in class today, or that something or other smelled like teen spirit. If you want poorly played instruments and lousy vocals with feeling, listen to punk: THAT rocked.
Emilio Navaira, Los Tigres del Norte ... Everybody polka!
That was cool :-).
Los Straitjackets!
Los Straitjackets are actually some musicians from Nashville.
Big Sandy has a better "voice" and has even played/recorded with them.
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