Problem Solved!
I’m so glad that CMT commissioned a study of radio listeners. Great news folks say they want to hear more women on the radio. Furthermore, 84% in the study agree that they “want equal play for female artists on Country radio.”
Thank GOD!
You see if you ask folks what they want they just tell you. When you’re nice and kind and ask nicely they will accurately project what their behavior will be.
So, country radio which is hungry to do what will improve our audience sizes and especially how long they listen to our radio stations we will certainly step up.
Quite frankly it’s so clear and unambiguous that I’d expect a swift adjustment by country radio programmers.
No one wants to be biased, unfair and against equality. So, let’s look forward to more females on country radio and hopefully soon equal play!
One of the other great insights this year at Country Radio Seminar was that outstanding research by Mark Ramsey.
Mark didn’t get specific numbers or information about equality, but he did uncover that essentially folks like hit songs and gender is not in their calculus.
Mark also had some real good intel in his presentation that POP sounds in country are no problem.
And again, Thank GOD!
I’ve worked with lots of researchers including Jon Coleman, Warren Kurtzman, and Mark Ramsey. The good news is they get a lot right.
My honest fear is that sometimes they get it wrong. I have seen research used and when implemented it killed radio brands. Like the research that said this country radio station isn’t working and ought to be changed. The researcher recommends changing to AC. Station does not and becomes #1. And a project that says boy if someone goes Jack, we are dead. So, let’s go with Jack ourselves. It instead kills the brand and station being advised by the researcher.
While I am glad Country Radio Seminar has these panels and researchers. I’m not sure that the agenda committees do not have “an agenda.”
Perhaps Coleman got it right and their research was twisted into a propaganda piece?
Perhaps Ramsey realized he could make some money from record labels?
I have my doubts about what will change regards the percentage of females played on country.
I also know that the amount of POP in country (when you play what’s on the country charts) will hurt your time spent exposed and time spent listening. There is a “secret sauce” percentage number there too.
Consider the POP component to be the onions in the salad. Could it be that 1/3 to 1/2 onions in our music salad will cause issues?
Good news for me, I’m guessing there won’t be a ruckus over “equal play” of onions.
Let me repeat not now. The percentages of anything played on country radio is not now, has never been and will never be about “fairness.”
There is a fair equal opportunity for play. There just haven’t been equal outcomes in the FREE MARKET.
But I am certainly glad that Jon Coleman and Mark Ramsey have solved it for everyone else.
Keith Hill 252-453-8888
unconsult@aol.com