Or rather it has. A great article to read for the quotes and for the summary of how the radio business perceives itself and its potential audiences. But mostly for the quotes, basically because of how loaded they all are:
Executives say stations are willing to make almost any adjustment to attract listeners at a time when radio audiences are declining industrywide. Just as cable television's niche programming has eroded the large broadcast networks' audiences over the decades, new technologies such as iPods and satellite radio are now drawing listeners looking for specialized playlists or genres disappearing from the dial.
Country and rock stations have been disproportionately battered by these new technologies, according to music analysts.
"Hispanic radio operators say their audiences are slower to adopt iPods and satellite radio," said Laraine Mancini, a Merrill Lynch & Co. analyst who estimates that KZLA's format change could increase the station's revenue by as much as 50%. "Hispanic and urban stations hold their audiences better, probably because their listeners don't switch to new technologies quite so quickly as white audiences."
...
"The Los Angeles radio market is basically 40% Hispanic, 11% Asian and 8% black, and country fans are about 98% Caucasian," said Rick Cummings, a top executive at KZLA's parent company, Emmis Communications Corp. "My job is to attract as large an audience as possible. KZLA is now playing music that appeals to Hispanic adult women, and that will hopefully attract other suburban women of different ethnicities."
...
Country music has worked hard to keep up with America's changing demographics. Labels have spent millions promoting African American singer Cowboy Troy and Latino country guitarist Rick Trevino, but beyond those two, success has been limited.
"We spent close to $1 million going down the ethnic road, but almost all the artists we found were just poseurs," said Joe Galante, chairman of Sony BMG in Nashville. "Most urban artists grew up listening to urban music, and so that's what they play. We've all been looking for minority country musicians, but audiences haven't supported them."
...
KZLA's switch drew widespread anger. Fans called the station and complained on message boards after the station announced the shift Thursday morning, right after rush hour. After its final country tune, by Keith Urban, came a pop anthem by the Black Eyed Peas.
"I almost threw up, I was so upset," said longtime KZLA listener and Mission Viejo resident Ruth Rogers, 53. "I think it's racist. This is becoming a nation of minorities. I'm not going to turn on my radio anymore. Country music promotes patriotism and family values, and they've replaced it with something that just promotes money and hate."
Country music executives were also dismayed.
"This is a huge disappointment," said Gary Borman, a manager representing country superstar Faith Hill, among other artists. "KZLA did a fantastic job building a country music community here, and our artists were proud to contribute to that. If radio executives can focus on urban and Latino listeners, why can't they focus on white America? This seems like the arbitrary hand of corporate America at work."
(The KZLA listener in Mission Viejo fits OC all too well.)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 20 August 2006 12:51 (nineteen years ago)