Ethnic Listening to LA Radio Stations

[davideduardo]

How is KYSR so high with the so-called antiquated term Hispanics?

"Hispanic" is hardly "antiquated. It was created in the late 70's by the Bureau of the Census to accommodate government's need for a quantification of a group of people who had been given EEO and other rights by our Congress. They could not use "Latino" as that includes Brazilians and the idea was to have a group from countries where Spanish is the dominant language.

KYSR is more mainstream than KROQ, and there are lots of later generation Hispanics in LA who are into all types of rock. Jerry García and all that...

KIIS higher than Power, and real just crushing them in the listening base that made that station legendary.

That's just a case of how Hispanics don't have one choice in music or radio stations.

KRTH and KBIG lower than Jack? Another rock based station, mostly rock, outperforming the stations with more rhythmic product.

And in San Antonio, the two Country stations have over half their cume among Hispanics. This is the product of Hispanics having been in SoCal for quite a few centuries.

I ask for answers from those who are more knowledgeable on this than me, but my best guess is that programming or politics maybe the divided up groups of Americans are not as Monolithic as our bankster masters want us to be.

It's always been this way, for decades. It is just that this data is not normally featured in reports... which is why I presented it.

 

[davideduardo]

That's dumb. The families of old money who run the world pretend to be of all different religions but they really think that they are the gods.
They also do allow new members into their club who have become Uber rich through their own creations, and the new ones seem to think that they need to prove themselves, saying crazy stuff like their coming population control, which is not what they want us worthless workers knowing about.
How is it not known?
Just one for now. A certain narcissist became President just out of revenge for not being allowed into the club.

OK, that is a pure political subject. Frank and I will begin deleting if this subject continues.

 

[TomásEstefan]

96% Hispanic, 0% Black. All Spanish language stations show a couple of percent that are not Hispanic but that is usually due to a mixed Hispanic-Non Hispanic household not being classified as such. There are some "Hispanics" who do not like the terms "Hispanic" or "Latina/o" because they identify with a nation, not a category like that. In particular, there are Spanish speaking Hispanics who have become very annoyed by the "Latinx" term and don't want to be identified within a broader group of any kind.

Many times I have mentioned one of my daughters who has a T-Shirt that says,

Not Hispanic
Not Latina
Puerto Rican

So take any statistics that measure Hispanic populations and their tastes and preferences with a degree of caution.

A buddy of mine has a T-shirt that says: "I'm Mexican, not Hispanic".

 

[davideduardo]

A buddy of mine has a T-shirt that says: "I'm Mexican, not Hispanic".

There you go!

The term "Hispanic" comes from an old term that refers to the Iberian Peninsula. When the bureaucrats at OMB and the Census Bureau needed a way to classify a cultural and not race-specific group to help the folks up on The Hill, they looked for something that sounded "Latin enough" but which could be redefined for their purpose.

Remember, at the time most Hilliards (isn't that what we could/should call the temporary residents of Capital Hill?) were older white guys whose idea of an Hispanic was derived from watching Fantasy Island or West Side Story or having head Richie Valens sing "La Bamba" or José Fleliciano doing "Feliz Navidad".

When I first started working with Mega and Radio 10 in Argentina, the director of our (50 person) news department asked me, "what is this 'Hispanic' thing they use in the United States?" The term was totally foreign and unknown to the editorial manager of the most listened to news station in the Americas!

Like "LatinX", "Hispanic" is another creation of mostly woke white North-easterners who know more about other people than that group itself.

What's your perspective, Tomás-with-an-accent? 🤔

 

[Yabadabado1]

I get accused of being a racist because I don't like rap/hip-hop because I'm an "old white guy". I remember playing "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang when it first came out and thinking to myself "Geez, I hope this crap doesn't catch on." Nowadays, I'd listen to that on repeat for 23 days then what has come out in the years well past when that was a hit. No, I just don't like "music" that denigrates people ["I slap my bitches and hos down and put a bullet in their head if they don't listen to me"] plus "music" that consist of just a monotonous slow "bong, bong-bong" over and overwhile someone speak-raps over it. Doesn't matter that I have African-American nieces/nephews and sister-in-laws. Lots of country songs that I don't like also; guess that makes me Anti-American. Lot of jazz that I don't like and a lot that I do, so people can't decide if I'm a "beatnik" or not. Musically, my tastes are all over the map but, like everyone else, there's stuff I like more and stuff I like a lot less of. For a while I was in a consultant group that basically picked what oldies....ooops....."Classic Hits"..... should we hear more of and what should we hear less of; is this song overplayed or are we not hearing enough of this song.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

There is nothing like Puerto Rico at Christmas. The weather is cooler, with many nights in the low 70's in San Juan and the big cities, and in the 60's in the hills and mountains. And evenings in December can bring the traditional "asalto" or "invasion" where groups of friends drop in on a family unannounced in the evening and scream "ASALTO" and begin singing some of the traditional Christmas island songs

And often the first song is:

The host invites the "asaltantes" into the home where food and drink is always waiting "just in case" during the month.

Radio stations, whatever the format, will include at least a few seasonal songs in the playlist during December.

Due to increased criminality and stricter drunk driving rules, this is a fading tradition.

Is Asalto Navideño a Dying Tradition? - Latino Music Cafe

The Puerto Rican tradition of "parrandas", also known as an "asalto navideño" seems to be in steady decline in Puerto Rico.

latinomusiccafe.com

Thank you for explaining the "asaltantes", which is a beautiful tradition of fellowship and conviviality ! This reminds me a little of the tradition of "Las Posadas" in Mexico, where Joseph and Mary go from place to place, singing and seeking shelter for the imminent birth of the "joven", the Christ child. I could easily listen to this music all year through. It's joyous, uplifting, and very danceable. I like it a lot better than traditional North American carols. "De La Montana Venimos" has several versions available on You Tube:

 

[davideduardo]

Thank you for explaining the "asaltantes", which is a beautiful tradition of fellowship and conviviality ! This reminds me a little of the tradition of "Las Posadas" in Mexico, where Joseph and Mary go from place to place, singing and seeking shelter for the imminent birth of the "joven", the Christ child. I could easily listen to this music all year through. It's joyous, uplifting, and very danceable. I like it a lot better than traditional North American carols. "De La Montana Venimos" has several versions available on You Tube:

There is, ironically, a story involving the artist who recorded the video you attached.

Around 1977 one of the stations I was managing and programming was 11-Q, what would be called Hot AC or Adult CHR today. It was all Spanish contemporary except for two English pop songs an hour... Bee Gees, Manilow, Donna Summer. We only played pop.

Julio Angel, the artist in question, remade a bunch of old bolero songs. Nicely done, but not the 11-Q style. For some reason he thought that we had it against him and that was why we would not play his songs from the new album. We explained the difference between old style boleros and pop ballads, and he was not receptive. He had a lawyer call and threaten, and we had a very unsatisfactory meeting.

Only when we counter-sued for harassment and put a value on our management time in the mid-five figures did he drop the case, but in every show he did, he spoke badly about us. We finally had to record some of his negative statements and we put a cease & decisis on him.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

This is a live "asalto", filmed as it actually happened. The celebrants are playing all sorts of fun percussion and rhythm instruments.
What a joyous and boistrous group. This is different from the North American tradition of sentimentality that exists in pop Christmas music. JMO -- Daryl Lynn

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

There is, ironically, a story involving the artist who recorded the video you attached.

Around 1977 one of the stations I was managing and programming was 11-Q, what would be called Hot AC or Adult CHR today. It was all Spanish contemporary except for two English pop songs an hour... Bee Gees, Manilow, Donna Summer. We only played pop.

Julio Angel, the artist in question, remade a bunch of old bolero songs. Nicely done, but not the 11-Q style. For some reason he thought that we had it against him and that was why we would not play his songs from the new album. We explained the difference between old style boleros and pop ballads, and he was not receptive. He had a lawyer call and threaten, and we had a very unsatisfactory meeting.

Only when we counter-sued for harassment and put a value on our management time in the mid-five figures did he drop the case, but in every show he did, he spoke badly about us. We finally had to record some of his negative statements and we put a cease & decisis on him.

Radio 11-Q 104.9 in Guayaquil, Ecuador?

Oh my goodness ! That's a very temperamental artist with a huge sense of entitlement. Radio stations are privately owned businesses, and no station is under any obligation to play any music that does not fit their format.
I'm deleting the link I posted about him, because I don't think he should receive even minimal recognition. My gosh, imagine having a lawyer call and threaten a station because of an objection to programming selections. That's pretty far out of line. I'm glad you put a cease and desist on him. -- D.L. L.A.

 

[davideduardo]

Radio 11-Q 104.9 in Guayaquil, Ecuador?

No, WQII-1140 San Juan and sister to WZNT, Z-93, San Juan.

Oh my goodness ! That's a very temperamental artist with a huge sense of entitlement. Radio stations are privately owned businesses, and no station is under any obligation to play any music that does not fit their format.
I'm deleting the link I posted about him, because I don't think he should receive even minimal recognition. My gosh, imagine having a lawyer call and threaten a station because of an objection to programming selections. That's pretty far out of line. I'm glad you put a cease and desist on him. -- D.L. L.A.

That is a common issue when you have a station in the same city as where most of your music is produced. I saw that on occasion in Argentina where I programmed Mega 98.3, the Argentine-artist only rock station where some artists who were not Argentine wanted to be played; out slogan was "puro rock nacional" (pure Argentine rock) so we could not play a foreign artist. But that is what you get when you have a 20 share in a market larger than New York City and everyone wants you to play their songs.

 

[TomásEstefan]

There you go!

The term "Hispanic" comes from an old term that refers to the Iberian Peninsula. When the bureaucrats at OMB and the Census Bureau needed a way to classify a cultural and not race-specific group to help the folks up on The Hill, they looked for something that sounded "Latin enough" but which could be redefined for their purpose.

Remember, at the time most Hilliards (isn't that what we could/should call the temporary residents of Capital Hill?) were older white guys whose idea of an Hispanic was derived from watching Fantasy Island or West Side Story or having head Richie Valens sing "La Bamba" or José Fleliciano doing "Feliz Navidad".

When I first started working with Mega and Radio 10 in Argentina, the director of our (50 person) news department asked me, "what is this 'Hispanic' thing they use in the United States?" The term was totally foreign and unknown to the editorial manager of the most listened to news station in the Americas!

Like "LatinX", "Hispanic" is another creation of mostly woke white North-easterners who know more about other people than that group itself.

What's your perspective, Tomás-with-an-accent? 🤔

The only possible "modern" definition of "Hispanic" is that it is at best a "language origin". It is clearly not an ethnicity, nationality, or race, or even a culture, simply because Spanish is a "native language" spoken by millions of every race and many different nationalities and ethnic groups who are of many different cultures.

 

[davideduardo]

The only possible "modern" definition of "Hispanic" is that it is at best a "language origin". It is clearly not an ethnicity, nationality, or race, or even a culture, simply because Spanish is a "native language" spoken by millions of every race and many different nationalities and ethnic groups who are of many different cultures.

You find it as obtuse as I do. And in each Census since 1980 they have slightly changed the definition. It is not-so-simply a catch-all for people from the primarily Spanish speaking countries of Latin America and, oddly, Spain. Even though large percentages in some countries speak indigenous languages like Nahuatl or Quechua / Kichwa, they are still considered "Hispanic" despite having a heritage that has as little to do with Iberia as I do with Malaysia.

And, of course, there is the bipolar situation of Hispanics whose ancestors have been in what is the present day Southwestern United States since the time it was a Spanish territory.

Maybe someone should have asked Jerry García.

"We're from the government and we're here to help confuse you".

 

[ChannelFlipper]

I get accused of being a racist because I don't like rap/hip-hop because I'm an "old white guy". I remember playing "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang when it first came out and thinking to myself "Geez, I hope this crap doesn't catch on." Nowadays, I'd listen to that on repeat for 23 days then what has come out in the years well past when that was a hit. No, I just don't like "music" that denigrates people ["I slap my bitches and hos down and put a bullet in their head if they don't listen to me"] plus "music" that consist of just a monotonous slow "bong, bong-bong" over and overwhile someone speak-raps over it. Doesn't matter that I have African-American nieces/nephews and sister-in-laws. Lots of country songs that I don't like also; guess that makes me Anti-American. Lot of jazz that I don't like and a lot that I do, so people can't decide if I'm a "beatnik" or not. Musically, my tastes are all over the map but, like everyone else, there's stuff I like more and stuff I like a lot less of. For a while I was in a consultant group that basically picked what oldies....ooops....."Classic Hits"..... should we hear more of and what should we hear less of; is this song overplayed or are we not hearing enough of this song.

So many great Black Motown, Jazz and Soul artists, not to mention rock 'n' rollers like Jimi Hendrix who brought so much uplifting music that I was fortunate enough to grow up with. I never knew how much of a treasure it was until I got older.

The rap and hip hop music they play today (which I mostly hear at the gym) is so un-musical, formulaic, and covers the basest of topics. It is a true travesty. Much of the blame goes to radio. Just because your audience demands crap doesn't mean you have to play it. But enough will and do. How can today's youth (especially underprivileged ones in the ghettos) be inspired by that music to make something more of themselves to better their positions in life?

Where is there any positivity in relationships and life overall? A few of my favorite songs growing up expressed this beautifully like:

• "Love Train" by the O'jays.
• "Ain't no Stoppin' Us Now" by Mcfadden & Whitehead.
• "Nothing from Nothing" (A humorous take on the same subject) by Billy Preston.
• Multiple numbers from Stevie Wonder, but "Isn't She Lovely" and "Overjoyed" to name just a few.
• "The Greatest Love of All" by both George Benson and Whitney Houston.
• Whitney Houston's own "One Moment In Time".
• Multiple Numbers from Roberta Flack, but I will name "The Closer I Get to You" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" here.
• "Mornin'" by Al Jarreau - Such positivity first thing in the morning!
• Multiple hits by Aretha Franklin, but I will just name "Respect" and "You Better Think" here.
• Anything By Sam Cooke, I will name-check "You Send Me" here.

So many other great male artists such as Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Fats Domino, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Lou Rawls, Jackie Wilson, Little Richard, Chuck Barry, and Sly Stone.
.
So many other great female artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Chaka Kahn, Donna Summer, Dionne Warwick, Anita Baker and of course the "girl groups" of the sixties like the Ronnettes and the Crystals.

What all of these songs and artists have in common is a great positivity about them. That is not to say they didn't have something to say that they believed needed to be said, such as Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On", but it was done tastefully, artfully and most beautifully. All were positive role models (at least in their performances) who gave inspiration to others.

I am going to end this post with one of my all time favorite songs "Living in America" by James Brown. Brown didn't write the song, but you would never know it in his 110% performance. It is a rockin' love letter to the greatest country of all, the USA. It celebrates getting to the good life by working hard, putting in the late nights, and making the best of yourself. America (even still) offers everyone a chance to move up; it is up to each individual to choose to take it. Brown celebrates and glorifies that opportunity. Awesome!

 

[davideduardo]

What all of these songs and artists have in common is a great positivity about them. That is not to say they didn't have something to say that they believed needed to be said, such as Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On", but it was done tastefully, artfully and most beautifully. All were positive role models (at least in their performances) who gave inspiration to others.

I'd like to add "Midnight Train to Georgia". Aside for absolutely spine-tingling singing and music, it's a deep and beautiful tale of the rapid urbanization of America in the decades following WW II. It's not a Black or a white song, it's a musical poem about the social changes that affected families, relationships and the country as a whole. It's simply much deeper than it appears to be on first listen.

 

[fordranger797]

This is not meant to be taken as a rude comment at all, but this data is a helpful reminder that Hispanic listeners really have very similar taste to white listeners. I certainly forget at times that we’re all listening to the same stations!

 

[Yabadabado1]

I'd like to add "Midnight Train to Georgia". Aside for absolutely spine-tingling singing and music, it's a deep and beautiful tale of the rapid urbanization of America in the decades following WW II. It's not a Black or a white song, it's a musical poem about the social changes that affected families, relationships and the country as a whole. It's simply much deeper than it appears to be on first listen.

Hear, Hear! Some of the best tunes I like were on Motown records. Some of the earliest tunes I like were basically R&B or cribbed from R&B by white artists. And in 1 1/2 short years Motown will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of its first #1 hit, "My Guy" by Mary Wells. And one of the earliest Top 40 hits from them I can remember hearing was "Money (That's What I Want)" by Barrett Strong. And they had 79 Top 10 hits between 1960-69. Can't tell me that only African-Americans were the only ones buying their records for them to accomplish that. {Couldn't listen to them on the radio when my racist old pop was around, he'd go nuts. He was just a product of his time being born in the deep south. Literally born in a shack next to a turkey processing plant. He took me by it years ago before he died. Basically overtaken by the woods and about ready to collapse but it was still standing....barely.}

 

[davideduardo]

This is not meant to be taken as a rude comment at all, but this data is a helpful reminder that Hispanic listeners really have very similar taste to white listeners. I certainly forget at times that we’re all listening to the same stations!

And I'd like to make a helpful reminder that "Hispanic" is not a race. At best, it is a linguistic relationship based on geography.

Over 80% of those who said they were "Hispanic, Latino/a, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban or other" on the Census also said they were "white" on the race question. So, the term you should be using is "... similar taste to non-Hispanic white listeners..."

Hispanics are Julio Iglesias, Roberto Clemente, Benito Juárez and Alberto Fujimori and all the marvelous combinations.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

So many great Black Motown, Jazz and Soul artists, not to mention rock 'n' rollers like Jimi Hendrix who brought so much uplifting music that I was fortunate enough to grow up with. I never knew how much of a treasure it was until I got older.

The rap and hip hop music they play today (which I mostly hear at the gym) is so un-musical, formulaic, and covers the basest of topics. It is a true travesty. Much of the blame goes to radio. Just because your audience demands crap doesn't mean you have to play it. But enough will and do. How can today's youth (especially underprivileged ones in the ghettos) be inspired by that music to make something more of themselves to better their positions in life?

Where is there any positivity in relationships and life overall? A few of my favorite songs growing up expressed this beautifully like:

• "Love Train" by the O'jays.
• "Ain't no Stoppin' Us Now" by Mcfadden & Whitehead.
• "Nothing from Nothing" (A humorous take on the same subject) by Billy Preston.
• Multiple numbers from Stevie Wonder, but "Isn't She Lovely" and "Overjoyed" to name just a few.
• "The Greatest Love of All" by both George Benson and Whitney Houston.
• Whitney Houston's own "One Moment In Time".
• Multiple Numbers from Roberta Flack, but I will name "The Closer I Get to You" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" here.
• "Mornin'" by Al Jarreau - Such positivity first thing in the morning!
• Multiple hits by Aretha Franklin, but I will just name "Respect" and "You Better Think" here.
• Anything By Sam Cooke, I will name-check "You Send Me" here.

So many other great male artists such as Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Fats Domino, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Lou Rawls, Jackie Wilson, Little Richard, Chuck Barry, and Sly Stone.
.
So many other great female artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Chaka Kahn, Donna Summer, Dionne Warwick, Anita Baker and of course the "girl groups" of the sixties like the Ronnettes and the Crystals.

What all of these songs and artists have in common is a great positivity about them. That is not to say they didn't have something to say that they believed needed to be said, such as Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On", but it was done tastefully, artfully and most beautifully. All were positive role models (at least in their performances) who gave inspiration to others.

I am going to end this post with one of my all time favorite songs "Living in America" by James Brown. Brown didn't write the song, but you would never know it in his 110% performance. It is a rockin' love letter to the greatest country of all, the USA. It celebrates getting to the good life by working hard, putting in the late nights, and making the best of yourself. America (even still) offers everyone a chance to move up; it is up to each individual to choose to take it. Brown celebrates and glorifies that opportunity. Awesome!

Excellent post, and what a great list of songs. I would add "People Get Ready, There's a Train A' Comin' " by the Chambers Brothers, which speaks in a positive, hopeful way of social change.
James Brown was fantastic. What an incredible entertainer.

 

[Yabadabado1]

And I'd like to make a helpful reminder that "Hispanic" is not a race. At best, it is a linguistic relationship based on geography.

Over 80% of those who said they were "Hispanic, Latino/a, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban or other" on the Census also said they were "white" on the race question. So, the term you should be using is "... similar taste to non-Hispanic white listeners..."

Hispanics are Julio Iglesias, Roberto Clemente, Benito Juárez and Alberto Fujimori and all the marvelous combinations.

Wanna drive someone from England nuts? Call them English. "No, I SPEAK English or British English if you prefer. England is where I am from. If I was born in Wales, Scotland AND/OR England I could be considered from Great Britain. If born in Northern Ireland, I would be considered from the United Kingdom which would also include Wales, Scotland, England." Some of them get downright indignant about that.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Excellent post, and what a great list of songs. I would add "People Get Ready, There's a Train A' Comin' " by the Chambers Brothers, which speaks in a positive, hopeful way of social change.
James Brown was fantastic. What an incredible entertainer.

Excellent addition to the list.

Since you referenced James Brown, I will add one more thing to my comments about his "Living in America": The song personifies all of the things James did himself to become successful. For many years he was called "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", and for good reason. His hard work paid off handsomely.