Mr. Ed makes some good points about the era of freeform radio, but there were a few other factors in play...
One was the inability of many sales staffs to understand how to market the format. (They put pressure on programmers, then management, to make it more "commercial")
Another was the way, once an eclectic format became successful, imitators would pop up, splitting the time spent listening.
Still another was the way the Superstar format narrowed the focus to pop/rock by familiar artists, burning the core music the freeform programmers had made popular.
Then there was the way 'eclectic' turned to 'Album Oriented Rock', freezing out many of the artists that had made the format popular... Shawn Phillips,
David Bromberg, Weather Report, John Mayall and hundreds others all the sudden didn't fit the 'Rock' format.
And then the record companies stepped in, corrupting programmers to play certain records, and pressuring artists to deliver 'Hits'. (Ironically, the payola scandals moved music selection out of the jocks hands, into the hands of music directors, and then consultants. I wish the consultant could explain to me why he had a Texas Freeform heritage station add "Pousette Dart Band" back in '76... That was the day the music died for me....)
Last but not least you can blame the self-indulgence of the air staff, who decided their feces had no aroma, and failed to keep in touch with listeners.
Obscure and unknown artists and their tunes could still keep listeners, if the air talent knows how to 'sell' a song...But unfortunately, those who care have such widely divergant tastes, and those that don't respond only to the 'hits', and so there you are...
But still there's Redbeard, Jody Denberg and others who 'get it', and program some compelling shows.
g
One was the inability of many sales staffs to understand how to market the format. (They put pressure on programmers, then management, to make it more "commercial")
Another was the way, once an eclectic format became successful, imitators would pop up, splitting the time spent listening.
Still another was the way the Superstar format narrowed the focus to pop/rock by familiar artists, burning the core music the freeform programmers had made popular.
Then there was the way 'eclectic' turned to 'Album Oriented Rock', freezing out many of the artists that had made the format popular... Shawn Phillips,
David Bromberg, Weather Report, John Mayall and hundreds others all the sudden didn't fit the 'Rock' format.
And then the record companies stepped in, corrupting programmers to play certain records, and pressuring artists to deliver 'Hits'. (Ironically, the payola scandals moved music selection out of the jocks hands, into the hands of music directors, and then consultants. I wish the consultant could explain to me why he had a Texas Freeform heritage station add "Pousette Dart Band" back in '76... That was the day the music died for me....)
Last but not least you can blame the self-indulgence of the air staff, who decided their feces had no aroma, and failed to keep in touch with listeners.
Obscure and unknown artists and their tunes could still keep listeners, if the air talent knows how to 'sell' a song...But unfortunately, those who care have such widely divergant tastes, and those that don't respond only to the 'hits', and so there you are...
But still there's Redbeard, Jody Denberg and others who 'get it', and program some compelling shows.
g
