Apr 192010
I don’t have satellite radio. Perhaps this is already happening, but if not, why don’t record labels simply own their own stations and play almost nothing but their own music, the way television stations play their own productions? This would do away with any concerns about payola, in whatever forms. Why shouldn’t radio stations be tools of particular labels?
I think some of them have internet radio stations, but I would say that;s not a bad idea, esp for the big guys (sony bmg) and for the little but loved guys (Sub Pop)
Sadly Satellite radio’s music is almost as narrow minded as commercial radio. The stations are segregated (80’s, Grunge,top40, Love Songs, Nashville country, all elvis, all springsteen, all grateful dead, Hair Metal, classic rock etc.) so you can get burned out on the style and end up flipping between 20-30 stations in a single day (unless you are on an Elvis kick or techno kick then you might stick around.
I listen for the talk shows, news shows, Springsteen has a concert every day at 12:00 and 8:00…im a big opie and anthony and ron & fez fan. Howard Stern every once in a while if he has a good guest.
There is never a day when I have said that satellite radio was better than a day with the ipod on “shuffle” though
This is old, but this is part of the problem:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1406
Between the Baby Boomers appetite for nothing but the music their generation grew up with and the media consolidation we allowed starting in the 80’s that has now made it nearly impossible to hear a private radio station anywhere, we wound up with essentially the same radio stations in every city, playing the same songs. I want it all to change to make media unconsolidated. Airwaves should be owned locally, not by companies outside of the region (or state, or country).
Satellite starts off good, but then eventually you find that they have their own formats. They’re rigid and boring, and it’s not a 24/7 operation. It’s about a 12 hour day, and weekends are even less. Giving the labels their own stations on the satellite would be even worse. The labels want to make one record hit the charts ten times with ten different songs. There’s never any room for anything new. I bet they’d push catalog junk over and over, too.
It think it would appear too self serving. Little Steven has a great formula for his Underground Garage where he heavily plays and promotes from his Wicked Cool Records label but surrounds it with other great music. It makes his stuff sound better and feel more credible when it follows the MC5 or whatever.
As you describe Little Steven’s show, the Atlantic Records label, for instance, could play a Cream cover of an old blues song and then play the original version. From the labels’ perspective, I would think my model makes sense. Is there legislation to prevent this?
What labels have nearly enough stuff to keep that interesting? I guess a few of the conglomerates that have huge back catalogs. But it sounds even more boring to me than what they’re doing now!
I would only add that Bailey Quarters was much, much hotter than Loni Anderson.
To be clear, I’m not asking this question or suggesting this plan because I think it’s good for us as potential radio listeners. I’m asking why, in a world of corporate greed, satellite radio isn’t already set up to directly serve specific labels. Why doesn’t radio now function like network and cable television? My question is not meant to be idealistic.
And yes, Bailey is way hotter.
Don’t labels have their own youtube channels?
Bailey.
Well, at the risk of sounding like a total a-hole, your question *is* a bit naive. The reason Sony doesn’t set up a “Sony Channel” on the radio is because they don’t want to run the risk of pissing off the non-affiliated stations (i.e., all radio stations) that already exist, which still do the heavy lifting in sales promotion for Sony product.
I suppose Sony could set up a station that operates in parallel with existing stations.. but why would they? What would be the benefit in that?
I also think this would be a marketing/product packaging nightmare. What would be the “brand” that would be used to attract listeners? What does “Sony Music” sound like? At least with today’s boring system, people know where to find the flavor of music that appeals to them..
You are naive, Mod, and it embarrasses me!
For a conglomerate like Sony it wouldn’t be a Sony channel but channels representing a number of their labels OR genres across their label. Why should they waste money plying DJs with coke and hookers when they could brand a couple of satellite stations with groovy names that just happen to play primarily from their catalog? Then they could sign up local affiliates the way television networks do, right? I am aware of how naive this question might be, but if they’re going to release records and hope for airplay, wouldn’t this be a surefire way to get their records on the radio?
And as someone said, how great could this be for a large indie label with a deep catalog? I’d be as likely to flip on “Radio Merge” than I would “IndiePower99,” or whatever the satellite equivalent getting paid by multiple labels to promote their records might be called.
By the way, your concluding line is spot on, HVB!