Political views of music stations?

[tall_guy1]

What, if any, political slant have you heard from on-air talent. 96.5 The Buzz is pretty liberal (though they don't talk politics much these days), and I've heard 92.5 WINC-FM talk about climate change on multiple occasions. Have you heard any slant?

 

[FreddyE1977]

What, if any, political slant have you heard from on-air talent. 96.5 The Buzz is pretty liberal (though they don't talk politics much these days), and I've heard 92.5 WINC-FM talk about climate change on multiple occasions. Have you heard any slant?

One of the jocks on Sirius XM's Soul Town annoyed me last November by reading
lists of candidates who had been endorsed by Barack Obama on the air. Shut up
and play more James Brown!

 

[Sammy Reed]

That's tough to say, really. When the same corporation has both a talk station and a hip-hop station, such as one in my area, it's tough to figure out what, if any, political stant it has. Or that each of the people working there have.

 

[frankberry]

There was once a morning team that constantly aired their political views on-air.
I email the station's PD and asked him why he would allow this to happen. I explained that the best the team could do was to piss off only half of their listeners.
He wrote back, telling me that "the horses are already out of the barn."
About a year later, after declining ratings, the morning team was replaced.

 

[Delete My Account]

WRSI "The River" in the Pioneer Valley of Western MA tends to embrace a progressive viewpoint, both in their choice of music and morning talent. Rachel Maddow got her start at Springfield's WRNX and moved to WRSI as a morning host, then went to Air America and later, MSNBC. Later, Monte Belmonte continued the morning show with a blend of music, politics, and community service. His "Connection" segments with three songs on a theme often relate to political news, in particular support of refugees & immigrants. There has been the occasional social media troll, but for the most part the listeners seem to appreciate it and the station is financially successful and given creative freedom by their parent company, Saga.

 

[macattack]

I've never seen any host of a primarily music-themed format (unless it was hip-hop) last for long after getting overly political. You alienate half of your audience and it's the kiss of death ratings-wise. It's better to mask it by playing political-themed music when the DJ is in that kind of mood versus expressing it explicitly on-air.

 

[TheBigA]

It's better to mask it by playing political-themed music when the DJ is in that kind of mood versus expressing it explicitly on-air.

As if the DJ has anything to say about the music he plays! Ha!

Which brings to mind how many politically themed songs do you hear on the radio? I'd say not many. Only a couple artists were willing to play the Trump inaugural for that reason. It's not a good place for anyone to be, no matter what they think.

 

[CTListener]

As if the DJ has anything to say about the music he plays! Ha!

Which brings to mind how many politically themed songs do you hear on the radio? I'd say not many. Only a couple artists were willing to play the Trump inaugural for that reason. It's not a good place for anyone to be, no matter what they think.

There's Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" on classic rock stations, maybe even Bruce Springsteen's remake of "War." Pop and country seem to have gone 100 percent apolitical. How about urban? Not a format I listen to much, and I am clueless on the content of today's hip-hop hits. Are the lyrics all sex, violence and street life, or has politics -- anti-Trump, I'd assume -- worked its way into lyrics?

 

[Kemosabe]

WRSI "The River" in the Pioneer Valley of Western MA tends to embrace a progressive viewpoint, both in their choice of music and morning talent. Rachel Maddow got her start at Springfield's WRNX and moved to WRSI as a morning host, then went to Air America and later, MSNBC. Later, Monte Belmonte continued the morning show with a blend of music, politics, and community service. His "Connection" segments with three songs on a theme often relate to political news, in particular support of refugees & immigrants. There has been the occasional social media troll, but for the most part the listeners seem to appreciate it and the station is financially successful and given creative freedom by their parent company, Saga.

Of course, the milieu in the Pioneer Valley is quite different from that of, say, the Tennessee Valley. WRSI "The River" would probably run dry in Alabama.