Herald: Radio shows tuning in to local artists

[raccoonradio]

http://bostonherald.com/entertainme...013/10/radio_shows_tuning_in_to_local_artists

>>(John Mayer on a college station, seriously?) “It has to come from college radio first,” said Carmelita, host of WAAF’s “Bay State Rock.” “What’s happening at WERS is terrible, and it’s making it harder for local bands to get airplay on both college and commercial stations.”

 

[WRLK]

89.7 WTBR-FM in Pittsfield is a 380 watt high school station that welcomes local bands with good quality material to get their music played on the air. WTBR has a pretty decent signal in the Berkshires and eastern NY. One of the adult volunteers, Mike Pezzo, welcomes new music. WTBR-FM is a classic rock/new rock station. WTBR is the ONLY radio station in western Massachusetts that plays local bands and those bands appreciate it very, very much.

 

[raccoonradio]

That's great--college and other school radio can be a valuable resource for that kind of thing! The article also mentions WATD on the South Shore, and their local DJ John Shea:
>>“We pitched our show to management, and they took a chance,” Shea said of the 2-year-old show that focuses chiefly on the South Shore market. “We got a ton of positive feedback"

Last year I and a radio buff friend dropped in on WATD; I mentioned my years on radio and immediately was given a "cook's tour"
of the station by owner Ed Perry. Shea was there and I got talking to him (he had met our own Doug Mascott, WMWM). That station is a great example of what radio can do, especially in serving the local community. This includes promoting local bands, etc! (I'm more into blues; the one band I know from Western MA is blues group Wildcat O'Halloran Band....)