Listeners Protested Outside Power 106 on Black Friday

[Dj Woody]

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhaP679A8616X5KayO

 

[only1moore]

I hope they know that KPWR is a Rhythmic Top 40, not a Urban. And besides, Power 106 is catering to what is hot today and all you have to do is look at the Rhythmic Chart at both Mediabase and BDS. I can understand their feelings about KPWR not playing enough West Coast Hip-Hop, but its going to take more than protests to convince them that they deserve more airplay at this point.

 

[Hamp]

Okay, if Power 106 is supposed to be Rhythmic Top 40, then they need to get rid of the moniker, "Where Hip-Hop Lives!" That is very misleading to the listening audience. Besides, if you listen to what Snoop Dogg says, a lot of local artists aren't getting airplay in their markets. He isn't saying you shouldn't play what is hot, but you have to realize what market you are in and cater to that particular demo.

Radio has gotten away from localization and focuses too much on cannibalization. Not just with Hip-Hop music, but with ALL aspects of programming. What works in Atlanta, doesn't necessarily work in Baltimore. That is the whole point. Radio can still play the hits, but keep it local at the same time. There just has to be a balance.

 

[kilamanjero]

I've been given up on the LA market especially after the urban contemporary format was killed by Radio NoOne on 100.3.

The market could support an urban-leaning Rhythmic station that plays local music and the hit songs from the BDS Rhythmic charts, but Emmis is one of the worse companies when it comes this format. I've listened to both KPWR and WQHT while visiting LA and NYC and both of them sounded like garbage to me. I'll take Rhythmic like WMBX or WZMX over KPWR or WQHT since they are both Rhythmics give local music some play as well as doing the damn thing.

 

[Wildstyle K]

It's funny -those people don't know any better. Power 106 is a rhythmic format. What they really should be protesting for is an urban format station that caters to hip hop & r&b.

I don't think Power 106's slogan is helping much either, and why are they still branding themselves as hip hop when everyone (or the observant people who can see what's happening without waiting for everyone else to see it) knows that hip hop is in a state of decline? We've gone through era's of blues, jazz, disco, rock'n'roll, that short lived multiple boy/girl band pop phase, and now hip hop has already passed it's peak. I don't even think I have to mention or explain the obvious fact that a new sound is starting to take over as the hip hop phase comes to a close and the next big thing comes along... but just like what happens every time times and trends change, people are upset and eventually get over it when they realize they are now the parents and the new younger generation will of course come in with their own new sound that will take over as the next big hits. Since Power 106 is a rhythmic format, they may play a decent amount of hip hop hits, but mainly the rhythmic hits, and hip hop is no longer dominating the "hit music" charts today, like it was 2003, 2005...etc (unless you include rapping/singing over house and electronic beats as hip hop).

Anyway, I guess maybe they could try an urban hip hop format in LA right now. It's one of the few places where it may still be sensible to try such a thing, as top 40 and rhythmic are the way to go these days, ESPECIALLY during a transitional phase as one generational sound closes (hip hop) and the next big sound arrives. I see Snoop Dogg himself complaining in the video, however, he himself is trying to jump on the dance music sound.

All I ask is that if dance music is to come back in the U.S, people do not mess it up or kill it by transferring and filling up electronic hits with dumb, meaningless lyrics. Much of today's pop has already been messed up. What everyone should really be protesting about is quality control in (U.S.) pop and hip hop!

Anyway, bottom line is Power 106 is rhythmic, not the urban everyone tends to think it is. I guess they could do a specialty show catering to hip hop or certain sounds in hip hop if they desired to, but they don't have to. Maybe a classic hip hop station similar to the one we have in Phoenix would be appropriate for L.A. PERFECT place to do west coast music, or Westcoast Wednesday, or whatever at a specified time. Well, this was definitely a great decade for hip hop music. Unfortunately, times and trends change, and time goes on. I would start jumping on (or considering) the classic hip hop format now, the same way classic rockers did when the rock n roll era was coming to an end and no longer ruled the charts.

 

[davideduardo]

The market could support an urban-leaning Rhythmic station that plays local music and the hit songs from the BDS Rhythmic charts, but Emmis is one of the worse companies when it comes this format. I've listened to both KPWR and WQHT while visiting LA and NYC and both of them sounded like garbage to me.

It's not Emmis' job to make KPWR conform with charts or broad format descriptors. It's #2 in LA in its target, 18-34.

In other words, KPWR is magnificantly programmed for the market it serves. And since that market is over 50% Hispanic in the 18-34 demo, it is thus unlike any other significant US market.

And that's that.

 

[kilamanjero]

The market could support an urban-leaning Rhythmic station that plays local music and the hit songs from the BDS Rhythmic charts, but Emmis is one of the worse companies when it comes this format. I've listened to both KPWR and WQHT while visiting LA and NYC and both of them sounded like garbage to me.

It's not Emmis' job to make KPWR conform with charts or broad format descriptors. It's #2 in LA in its target, 18-34.

In other words, KPWR is magnificantly programmed for the market it serves. And since that market is over 50% Hispanic in the 18-34 demo, it is thus unlike any other significant US market.

And that's that.

Actually, Emmis did actually that (went out of its way to conform to the Rhythmic BDS charts) when KPWR went from its long time urban-leaning Churban format back to Rhythmic category to chase after KIIS in the PPM. For the record, just because a station is on top doesn't equate to "magnificantly programmed" either.

 

[kilamanjero]

It's funny -those people don't know any better. Power 106 is a rhythmic format. What they really should be protesting for is an urban format station that caters to hip hop & r&b.

I don't think Power 106's slogan is helping much either, and why are they still branding themselves as hip hop when everyone (or the observant people who can see what's happening without waiting for everyone else to see it) knows that hip hop is in a state of decline? We've gone through era's of blues, jazz, disco, rock'n'roll, that short lived multiple boy/girl band pop phase, and now hip hop has already passed it's peak. I don't even think I have to mention or explain the obvious fact that a new sound is starting to take over as the hip hop phase comes to a close and the next big thing comes along... but just like what happens every time times and trends change, people are upset and eventually get over it when they realize they are now the parents and the new younger generation will of course come in with their own new sound that will take over as the next big hits. Since Power 106 is a rhythmic format, they may play a decent amount of hip hop hits, but mainly the rhythmic hits, and hip hop is no longer dominating the "hit music" charts today, like it was 2003, 2005...etc (unless you include rapping/singing over house and electronic beats as hip hop).

Anyway, I guess maybe they could try an urban hip hop format in LA right now. It's one of the few places where it may still be sensible to try such a thing, as top 40 and rhythmic are the way to go these days, ESPECIALLY during a transitional phase as one generational sound closes (hip hop) and the next big sound arrives. I see Snoop Dogg himself complaining in the video, however, he himself is trying to jump on the dance music sound.

All I ask is that if dance music is to come back in the U.S, people do not mess it up or kill it by transferring and filling up electronic hits with dumb, meaningless lyrics. Much of today's pop has already been messed up. What everyone should really be protesting about is quality control in (U.S.) pop and hip hop!

Anyway, bottom line is Power 106 is rhythmic, not the urban everyone tends to think it is. I guess they could do a specialty show catering to hip hop or certain sounds in hip hop if they desired to, but they don't have to. Maybe a classic hip hop station similar to the one we have in Phoenix would be appropriate for L.A. PERFECT place to do west coast music, or Westcoast Wednesday, or whatever at a specified time. Well, this was definitely a great decade for hip hop music. Unfortunately, times and trends change, and time goes on. I would start jumping on (or considering) the classic hip hop format now, the same way classic rockers did when the rock n roll era was coming to an end and no longer ruled the charts.

KDAY had done that about the classic hip-hop void, but a station that plays the current urban (hip-hop and R&B) music is what is missing from the #2 market.

 

[TheBigA]

The biggest issue these rappers need to contend with is making music that radio can play. Too much of their material has bad language and subjects that simply can't be played on any format of radio. As others have said, the decisions aren't being made around personal taste of the station. And a station can't be forced into playing music that is bad, unpopular, or obscene. instead of protesting in front of a radio station, they should be signing autographs and promoting their music. Unless this is their idea of music promotion.

 

[davideduardo]

Actually, Emmis did actually that (went out of its way to conform to the Rhythmic BDS charts) when KPWR went from its long time urban-leaning Churban format back to Rhythmic category to chase after KIIS in the PPM.

You probably noticed that Power looked horrible in the PPM initially. A lot of effort went into finding out what was broken.

Instead of blaming the PPM, I think they did what Radio One did as reflected in Alfred Liggins' testimony in Washington last week: instead of blaming the ratings, they looked hard and found that their own stations were not as good as they could be, and they went about deciding how to fix them up.

So, in my opinion Power was not chasing KIIS but, rather, looking for music and formatics that engaged listeners more and kept them coming back more often.

For the record, just because a station is on top doesn't equate to "magnificantly programmed" either.

The strategy I describe and its results can certainly be termed "successful" if you think "magnificent" is exaggeerated. But the fact remains, Power has made one of the best recoveries post-PPM introduction of any station in the market... on the level of KBXX and KMJQ in Houston.

 

[davideduardo]

And a station can't be forced into playing music that is bad, unpopular, or obscene. instead of protesting in front of a radio station, they should be signing autographs and promoting their music. Unless this is their idea of music promotion.

Yet these same artists and promoters are the first to want a royalty if their songs do get played.

 

[TheBigA]

Yet these same artists and promoters are the first to want a royalty if their songs do get played.

I'm not sure that many rappers are part of MusicFirst. A lot of this music is made outside traditional record labels and systems.

 

[justpassingthough]

By and large, in the 23 year history of Power 106, they have always been a Rhythmic Top 40 station. To have ever labeled them as Urban, is a misnomer. Power has been the best at responding to shifts in the musical tastes of their audience. They kept KKBT at (relative) bay, then hold their own against KXOL, and now have seen a post-PPM resurgence by shifting towards KIIS. A true Urban station would not stand a chance in post-PPM Los Angeles. The demographics are all wrong. That is why we have 2 rhythmic and 2 rhythmic-friendly CHR stations.

Rhythmic Top 40 can be a fickle format, with a young and fickle audience. Shifts to accomodate more or less dance, house, hip hop, straight pop music, boybands, etc. have to be expected with this format.

No matter what variation of rhythmic music Power is favoring at the moment, they have a pretty strong lock on the 18-34 multiethnic market.

I think KDM is correct in his assessment that hip hop has peaked, though. Power has responded by adding Lady Gaga, David Guetta, and other artists that they wouldn't have touched 5 years ago. I would expect to see more variation as Power and other rhythmic stations respond to the inevitable move away from hip-hop to other/new forms of rhythmic that are bound to dominate in the next decade.

 

[btone1035]

By and large, in the 23 year history of Power 106, they have always been a Rhythmic Top 40 station. To have ever labeled them as Urban, is a misnomer. Power has been the best at responding to shifts in the musical tastes of their audience. They kept KKBT at (relative) bay, then hold their own against KXOL, and now have seen a post-PPM resurgence by shifting towards KIIS. A true Urban station would not stand a chance in post-PPM Los Angeles. The demographics are all wrong. That is why we have 2 rhythmic and 2 rhythmic-friendly CHR stations.

Rhythmic Top 40 can be a fickle format, with a young and fickle audience. Shifts to accomodate more or less dance, house, hip hop, straight pop music, boybands, etc. have to be expected with this format.

No matter what variation of rhythmic music Power is favoring at the moment, they have a pretty strong lock on the 18-34 multiethnic market.

I think KDM is correct in his assessment that hip hop has peaked, though. Power has responded by adding Lady Gaga, David Guetta, and other artists that they wouldn't have touched 5 years ago. I would expect to see more variation as Power and other rhythmic stations respond to the inevitable move away from hip-hop to other/new forms of rhythmic that are bound to dominate in the next decade.

If a rhythmic top 40 station can survive in L.A., then an urban station can too. Don't forget there is a huge number of blacks in L.A. County. I bet you most of them don't listen to Power because most of the music played are for teens and females that are mainly hispanic and whites. Power, just like most rhythmic stations, are turning away black listeners and there needs to be more urban stations if this trend continues. Not trying to play the race card, but this is the truth. And whether you guys want to hear it or not, this is what is happening. For Power, they suck, KDAY will dominate over them(only if they can get a strong signal in L.A.). And Power 106 shouldn't have the slogan "Where Hip-Hop Lives." I give praise to the protestors and believe me in 2010, there will be more protests at the so-called hip-hop stations.

 

[kilamanjero]

By and large, in the 23 year history of Power 106, they have always been a Rhythmic Top 40 station. To have ever labeled them as Urban, is a misnomer. Power has been the best at responding to shifts in the musical tastes of their audience. They kept KKBT at (relative) bay, then hold their own against KXOL, and now have seen a post-PPM resurgence by shifting towards KIIS. A true Urban station would not stand a chance in post-PPM Los Angeles. The demographics are all wrong. That is why we have 2 rhythmic and 2 rhythmic-friendly CHR stations.

Rhythmic Top 40 can be a fickle format, with a young and fickle audience. Shifts to accomodate more or less dance, house, hip hop, straight pop music, boybands, etc. have to be expected with this format.

No matter what variation of rhythmic music Power is favoring at the moment, they have a pretty strong lock on the 18-34 multiethnic market.

I think KDM is correct in his assessment that hip hop has peaked, though. Power has responded by adding Lady Gaga, David Guetta, and other artists that they wouldn't have touched 5 years ago. I would expect to see more variation as Power and other rhythmic stations respond to the inevitable move away from hip-hop to other/new forms of rhythmic that are bound to dominate in the next decade.

I wouldn't go as far as saying a true urban wouldn't have survived in LA. If KKBT had a more dedicated owner who knew and invested more time in programming for the LA market rather than a national playlist unlike Radio One along with a stronger signal then we would still have KKBT, the Beat on air today. Radio One had only stick in the market, so they cut their losses after seeing the couldn't afford to run and properly program a LA urban station. However, another company would likely been in for long run programming an urban-lean rhythmic like the original Evergreen-owned 92.3 the Beat tooling itself to win over a multi-ethnic audience as well as serving the black community.

LA and SF Bay Area are the largest 2 black markets west of the Rockies. I see the demographics of what heritage (now by default de facto urban) KMEL has stacked against in it in SF Bay Area with majority Hispanic (although it's not the super majority such as LA), yet it survived in PPM environment although CC does protect them.

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

Damn, market #2 and no true Urban station. That sucks big time. Doesn't LA baiscally have 2 Urban AC R&B stations and KDAY playing old school hip-hop? Is LA that populated with 25-54 African Americans or old school fans? I'd say a real Urban could win with a powerhouse signal and real hip-hop music. Radio One's THE BEAT seemed decent to me, but I heard the signal was trash. Isn't that the station where Steve Harvey began his career?

 

[justpassingthough]

By and large, in the 23 year history of Power 106, they have always been a Rhythmic Top 40 station. To have ever labeled them as Urban, is a misnomer. Power has been the best at responding to shifts in the musical tastes of their audience. They kept KKBT at (relative) bay, then hold their own against KXOL, and now have seen a post-PPM resurgence by shifting towards KIIS. A true Urban station would not stand a chance in post-PPM Los Angeles. The demographics are all wrong. That is why we have 2 rhythmic and 2 rhythmic-friendly CHR stations.

Rhythmic Top 40 can be a fickle format, with a young and fickle audience. Shifts to accomodate more or less dance, house, hip hop, straight pop music, boybands, etc. have to be expected with this format.

No matter what variation of rhythmic music Power is favoring at the moment, they have a pretty strong lock on the 18-34 multiethnic market.

I think KDM is correct in his assessment that hip hop has peaked, though. Power has responded by adding Lady Gaga, David Guetta, and other artists that they wouldn't have touched 5 years ago. I would expect to see more variation as Power and other rhythmic stations respond to the inevitable move away from hip-hop to other/new forms of rhythmic that are bound to dominate in the next decade.

If a rhythmic top 40 station can survive in L.A., then an urban station can too. Don't forget there is a huge number of blacks in L.A. County. I bet you most of them don't listen to Power because most of the music played are for teens and females that are mainly hispanic and whites. Power, just like most rhythmic stations, are turning away black listeners and there needs to be more urban stations if this trend continues. Not trying to play the race card, but this is the truth. And whether you guys want to hear it or not, this is what is happening. For Power, they suck, KDAY will dominate over them(only if they can get a strong signal in L.A.). And Power 106 shouldn't have the slogan "Where Hip-Hop Lives." I give praise to the protestors and believe me in 2010, there will be more protests at the so-called hip-hop stations.

The one "true" urban station we have had in LA, KKBT, was not your typical urban station. The playlist leaned rhythmic, their focus was on a multi-ethnic audience through the "No color lines" slogan, and several of their biggest DJs (John London in the morning, Theo) were not African-American. LA is just too multi-cultural for a "true" urban to thrive.

And, yes, while African Americans make up 11% of the population of LA County, and account for about 3% of the OC population (around 9% of the total market share), this is just a number, and it doesn't reflect the true diversity of the market. I would venture to say that in a market as diverse as Los Angeles, rhythmic has always performed better than urban, because it is a more diverse format which includes elements of the urban format, mainstream CHR, etc.

Certainly KHHT, KJLH and KPWR could all work at serving the African American audience better, though.

 

[kilamanjero]

By and large, in the 23 year history of Power 106, they have always been a Rhythmic Top 40 station. To have ever labeled them as Urban, is a misnomer. Power has been the best at responding to shifts in the musical tastes of their audience. They kept KKBT at (relative) bay, then hold their own against KXOL, and now have seen a post-PPM resurgence by shifting towards KIIS. A true Urban station would not stand a chance in post-PPM Los Angeles. The demographics are all wrong. That is why we have 2 rhythmic and 2 rhythmic-friendly CHR stations.

Rhythmic Top 40 can be a fickle format, with a young and fickle audience. Shifts to accomodate more or less dance, house, hip hop, straight pop music, boybands, etc. have to be expected with this format.

No matter what variation of rhythmic music Power is favoring at the moment, they have a pretty strong lock on the 18-34 multiethnic market.

I think KDM is correct in his assessment that hip hop has peaked, though. Power has responded by adding Lady Gaga, David Guetta, and other artists that they wouldn't have touched 5 years ago. I would expect to see more variation as Power and other rhythmic stations respond to the inevitable move away from hip-hop to other/new forms of rhythmic that are bound to dominate in the next decade.

If a rhythmic top 40 station can survive in L.A., then an urban station can too. Don't forget there is a huge number of blacks in L.A. County. I bet you most of them don't listen to Power because most of the music played are for teens and females that are mainly hispanic and whites. Power, just like most rhythmic stations, are turning away black listeners and there needs to be more urban stations if this trend continues. Not trying to play the race card, but this is the truth. And whether you guys want to hear it or not, this is what is happening. For Power, they suck, KDAY will dominate over them(only if they can get a strong signal in L.A.). And Power 106 shouldn't have the slogan "Where Hip-Hop Lives." I give praise to the protestors and believe me in 2010, there will be more protests at the so-called hip-hop stations.

The one "true" urban station we have had in LA, KKBT, was not your typical urban station. The playlist leaned rhythmic, their focus was on a multi-ethnic audience through the "No color lines" slogan, and several of their biggest DJs (John London in the morning, Theo) were not African-American. LA is just too multi-cultural for a "true" urban to thrive.

And, yes, while African Americans make up 11% of the population of LA County, and account for about 3% of the OC population (around 9% of the total market share), this is just a number, and it doesn't reflect the true diversity of the market. I would venture to say that in a market as diverse as Los Angeles, rhythmic has always performed better than urban, because it is a more diverse format which includes elements of the urban format, mainstream CHR, etc.

Certainly KHHT, KJLH and KPWR could all work at serving the African American audience better, though.

The KKBT you described was one of the 1990's when it was still on 92.3, after Radio One purchased the 100.3 signal that drastically KKBT changed, and all the Rhythmic songs were dropped. It was programmed like the station was in DC or Baltimore rather than LA under Radio One.

 

[justpassingthough]

By and large, in the 23 year history of Power 106, they have always been a Rhythmic Top 40 station. To have ever labeled them as Urban, is a misnomer. Power has been the best at responding to shifts in the musical tastes of their audience. They kept KKBT at (relative) bay, then hold their own against KXOL, and now have seen a post-PPM resurgence by shifting towards KIIS. A true Urban station would not stand a chance in post-PPM Los Angeles. The demographics are all wrong. That is why we have 2 rhythmic and 2 rhythmic-friendly CHR stations.

Rhythmic Top 40 can be a fickle format, with a young and fickle audience. Shifts to accomodate more or less dance, house, hip hop, straight pop music, boybands, etc. have to be expected with this format.

No matter what variation of rhythmic music Power is favoring at the moment, they have a pretty strong lock on the 18-34 multiethnic market.

I think KDM is correct in his assessment that hip hop has peaked, though. Power has responded by adding Lady Gaga, David Guetta, and other artists that they wouldn't have touched 5 years ago. I would expect to see more variation as Power and other rhythmic stations respond to the inevitable move away from hip-hop to other/new forms of rhythmic that are bound to dominate in the next decade.

If a rhythmic top 40 station can survive in L.A., then an urban station can too. Don't forget there is a huge number of blacks in L.A. County. I bet you most of them don't listen to Power because most of the music played are for teens and females that are mainly hispanic and whites. Power, just like most rhythmic stations, are turning away black listeners and there needs to be more urban stations if this trend continues. Not trying to play the race card, but this is the truth. And whether you guys want to hear it or not, this is what is happening. For Power, they suck, KDAY will dominate over them(only if they can get a strong signal in L.A.). And Power 106 shouldn't have the slogan "Where Hip-Hop Lives." I give praise to the protestors and believe me in 2010, there will be more protests at the so-called hip-hop stations.

The one "true" urban station we have had in LA, KKBT, was not your typical urban station. The playlist leaned rhythmic, their focus was on a multi-ethnic audience through the "No color lines" slogan, and several of their biggest DJs (John London in the morning, Theo) were not African-American. LA is just too multi-cultural for a "true" urban to thrive.

And, yes, while African Americans make up 11% of the population of LA County, and account for about 3% of the OC population (around 9% of the total market share), this is just a number, and it doesn't reflect the true diversity of the market. I would venture to say that in a market as diverse as Los Angeles, rhythmic has always performed better than urban, because it is a more diverse format which includes elements of the urban format, mainstream CHR, etc.

Certainly KHHT, KJLH and KPWR could all work at serving the African American audience better, though.

The KKBT you described was one of the 1990's when it was still on 92.3, after Radio One purchased the 100.3 signal that drastically KKBT changed, and all the Rhythmic songs were dropped. It was programmed like the station was in DC or Baltimore rather than LA under Radio One.

Yes, and where is that station today? No longer on the dial. Thanks for proving my point. LA is, has and always will be a primarily rhythmic market.

KKBT was only successful when they directly challenged KPWR. Now with KIIS shifting towards rhythmic, and the appearance of KAMP, there is no more room for a straight up Urban station.

 

[musicfan101]

I think an Urban format needs a dedicated owner like Stevie Wonder, it could work in Los Angeles, but not on a powerful signal like 100.3. 102.3 and 93.5 have been here for years, and they are getting great ratings on a signal that doesn't go very far.