Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

[Don62]

Saw this on another forum.
http://www.gatewaycityradio.com/messageboard/kcboard.asp

I'm pasting it into this message because that site deletes older posts. It won't stay long there. Plus, I don't have time to find the original article.

In essence, though Bruce Springsteen's new CD is selling like hotcakes, the geniuses at Cheap Ch. are practicing age discrimination and refuse to play any of the new CD's potential singles because they fear Springsteen [size=10pt][size=10pt][size=10pt]at 58 [/size][/size][/size]is "too old."

I'm not necessarily a fan of 80s music represented by Bruce but can appreciate his contribution to music.

WIth brains like those at CC running the ship, no wonder radio is on its death bed.


----

old fossils kept off radidio

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306164,00.html


Posted by teens running the world on 10/31/2007, 12:19 pm

Bruce: Magic Refused Radio Play

[EDIT]


Alas, there’s a hitch: Radio will not play "Magic." In fact, sources tell me that Clear Channel has sent an edict to its classic rock stations not to play tracks from "Magic." But it’s OK to play old Springsteen tracks such as "Dancing in the Dark," "Born to Run" and "Born in the USA."

Just no new songs by Springsteen, even though it’s likely many radio listeners already own the album and would like to hear it mixed in with the junk offered on radio.

[EDIT]


"Magic," by the way, has sold more than 500,000 copies since its release on Oct. 2 and likely will hit the million mark. That’s not a small achievement these days, and one that should be embraced by Clear Channel.

But what a situation: The No. 1 album is not being played on any radio stations, according to Radio & Records, which monitors such things. Nothing. The rock songs aren’t on rock radio, and the two standout "mellow" tracks — "Magic" and "Devil’s Arcade" — aren’t even on "lite" stations.

[EDIT]


Clear Channel seems to have sent a clear message to other radio outlets that at age 58, Springsteen simply is too old to be played on rock stations. This completely absurd notion is one of many ways Clear Channel has done more to destroy the music business than downloading over the last 10 years. It’s certainly what’s helped create satellite radio, where Springsteen is a staple and even has his own channel on Sirius.

It’s not just Springsteen. There is no sign at major radio stations of new albums by John Fogerty or Annie Lennox, either. The same stations that should be playing Santana’s new singles with Chad Kroeger or Tina Turner are avoiding them, too.

Like Springsteen, these "older" artists have been relegated to something called Triple A format stations — i.e. either college radio or small artsy stations such as WFUV in the Bronx, N.Y., which are immune from the Clear Channel virus of pre-programming and where the number of plays per song is a fraction of what it is on commercial radio.



[EDIT-post truncated because originating material appears to be copyrighted
Unauthorized use of such content is in violation of Radio-Info's
TOS.]

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

In essence, though Bruce Springsteen's new CD is selling like hotcakes, the geniuses at Cheap Ch. are practicing age discrimination and refuse to play any of the new CD's potential singles because they fear Springsteen [size=10pt][size=10pt][size=10pt]at 58 [/size][/size][/size]is "too old."

This is how urban legends are created, by widely posting and blogging falsehoods.

Here is the truth:

"MYTH: Clear Channel Radio directed its stations not to play music from Bruce Springsteen’s “Magic” CD.
FACT: Although Clear Channel owns only 8% of the radio stations in the U.S., in the first days after the CD's release, airplay of music from the disc on Clear Channel Radio stations represented a full 21% of the total radio airplay in the U.S., including airplay from satellite radio. That's according to airplay stats from Mediabse. Further, Clear Channel Radio stations played music from the CD more than twice as much as the nearest radio broadcaster, which came in at less than 10% of total U.S. airplay. "

This can easily verified by reviewing who plays the songs via BDS or MediaBase.

 

[Don62]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

[EDIT-post truncated because originating material appears to be copyrighted
Unauthorized use of such content is in violation of Radio-Info's
TOS.]

Sorry.
As I said, I linked to the place I saw it online. They didn't have a link.
I didn't realize it was on Fox News.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306164,00.html

Doesn't sound like an urban legend to me. Sounds like a news-entertainment story.

Most listeners, David, don't have access to record research info.

 

[kirkiefan]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

Where have we seen this movie before?????

Remember when the Clear Circlejerks banned The Dixie Chicks? ...nuthin' new y'all!

 

[gr8oldies]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

It was not Clear Channel who "banned" the Dixie Chicks. It was Cumulus.

 

[firepoint525]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

This whole thread is much ado about nothing. The local Clear Channel station here in Nashville (the format-appropriate one, anyway) played Bruce's new stuff, but they are "classic rock" so even that is a bit of a stretch.

And the local Cumulus station (country, no less!) still plays the Chicks.

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

It was not Clear Channel who "banned" the Dixie Chicks. It was Cumulus.

Actually, following the commentaries of Natalie, nearly every country station in America dropped airplay because the listners were enraged and calling in to have them banned. Stations reacted by doing what the listeners wanted. It had nothing to do with the ownership of the stations and everything to do with the lifestyle of the listeners.

Pin that one on the listeners, not on radio. Like the myth of Clear not playing Springsteen's newest, this one is urban legend in the extreme.

 

[firepoint525]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

It was not Clear Channel who "banned" the Dixie Chicks. It was Cumulus.

Actually, following the commentaries of Natalie, nearly every country station in America dropped airplay because the listners were enraged and calling in to have them banned. Stations reacted by doing what the listeners wanted. It had nothing to do with the ownership of the stations and everything to do with the lifestyle of the listeners.
Pin that one on the listeners, not on radio. Like the myth of Clear not playing Springsteen's newest, this one is urban legend in the extreme.

Right! Radio may not necessarily play everything that listeners want to hear, but they will definitely NOT play anything that the vast majority of listeners do NOT want to hear. (It all goes back to that "radio is a business" thing.) The Chicks did not understand that, and apparently thought their fans would come back to them when political opinion on the war changed. But if there was even the possibility of that happening, they slammed the door shut on it, by recording the "in-your-face" song "Not Ready to Make Nice," and as if that still wasn't enough, Martie further insulted country music fans by saying that they (the Chicks) did not want to share their fans with the fans of Reba McEntire and Toby Keith (got to get in another dig at Toby, right, Chicks? :) It seems they have something against Oklahoma-based country artists. I'm still waiting for them to attack Vince Gill, and I wonder if they have the audacity to attack Garth Brooks? Apparently, they don't have the nerve to take on the biggest seller in recorded music history. He seems like such an egomaniac to me, so I wish they would take him on! ;D

Seems to me the Chicks are the textbook example of how NOT to treat your fans. After all, they don't give a damn about your petty little squabbles and feuds with other artists. They just want to hear the music.

 

[pbf1]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

Doesn't sound like an urban legend to me. Sounds like a news-entertainment story.

I'm a Clear Channel OM with rock and pop formats in my combo, I have NEVER been told to not play (or TO play) this, or any other artist or song.

Urban legend to the extreme, indeed.

 

[Starbucks]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

It was not Clear Channel who "banned" the Dixie Chicks. It was Cumulus.

Actually, following the commentaries of Natalie, nearly every country station in America dropped airplay because the listners were enraged and calling in to have them banned. Stations reacted by doing what the listeners wanted. It had nothing to do with the ownership of the stations and everything to do with the lifestyle of the listeners.

Pin that one on the listeners, not on radio. Like the myth of Clear not playing Springsteen's newest, this one is urban legend in the extreme.

>>>>>>>Hi Dave you made a point on the Dixie Chicks, but the other postee has a point that I wonder for the past 15 years that veteran artists of the 60's 70's 80's and even the 90's eithier are ignored or discriminated from having any type of mainstream airplay. Even when it's one of their best efforts. For example.....I did see the other week that a Bruce Springsteen single was one of the top (bottom) add ons for that particular week in R&R magazine. Have I heard it on any of the local or satellite stations that should be offering some hitbound play on it....so far no. I heard it once on a satellite sub carrier channel piped in at the Panda restaurant. And I thought it was good. But so far that was it.
NOW.......for other examples....Chubby Checker came out with a single recently I heard on the Blend (XM) that I thought it was good. And I was aware that it even charted just a bit on the AC chart. It should have had at least Hot AC airplay....but someone who goes back to the twist era....it would be a miracle that Clear Channel would play him. Paul McCartney, John Fogerty, Eagles and other veterans like them had albums the past year , and even though they sold very well, they get ignored by radio. Even the Hot AC's won't touch it. I don't even know why they even make an effort. If the Police decide to go in the studio this year to put out a new one...what is there chances having the CD single getting airplay.....besides AAA. Sheryl Crow who always has a nice CHR run until the last few years.....now she gets immediately exiled on the Hot AC chart. Yes there's always a time when sooner or later your chart success runs cold ...but if the album and concerts sell better then Jay Z, or Akon, why aren't they played. If your gonna bring up advertisers, don't waste your time...I answered my own questions.

 

[firepoint525]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

>>>>>>>Hi Dave you made a point on the Dixie Chicks, but the other postee has a point that I wonder for the past 15 years that veteran artists of the 60's 70's 80's and even the 90's eithier are ignored or discriminated from having any type of mainstream airplay. Even when it's one of their best efforts. For example.....I did see the other week that a Bruce Springsteen single was one of the top (bottom) add ons for that particular week in R&R magazine. Have I heard it on any of the local or satellite stations that should be offering some hitbound play on it....so far no. I heard it once on a satellite sub carrier channel piped in at the Panda restaurant. And I thought it was good. But so far that was it.
NOW.......for other examples....Chubby Checker came out with a single recently I heard on the Blend (XM) that I thought it was good. And I was aware that it even charted just a bit on the AC chart. It should have had at least Hot AC airplay....but someone who goes back to the twist era....it would be a miracle that Clear Channel would play him. Paul McCartney, John Fogerty, Eagles and other veterans like them had albums the past year , and even though they sold very well, they get ignored by radio. Even the Hot AC's won't touch it. I don't even know why they even make an effort. If the Police decide to go in the studio this year to put out a new one...what is there chances having the CD single getting airplay.....besides AAA. Sheryl Crow who always has a nice CHR run until the last few years.....now she gets immediately exiled on the Hot AC chart. Yes there's always a time when sooner or later your chart success runs cold ...but if the album and concerts sell better then Jay Z, or Akon, why aren't they played. If your gonna bring up advertisers, don't waste your time...I answered my own questions.

I believe the current CHR crowd would rather hear Beyonce, or Pink, or even, heaven forbid, Britney, than anyone you mentioned. But you are exactly right that there comes a time when an artist no longer appeals to the current generation of teenagers, and no longer gets chart hits. That's called "jumping the shark." ;D But at the same time, the artists you mentioned are so familiar to their own fans that they really no longer need radio airplay to sell CDs and tickets. You either like them or you don't. However, it is not impossible for older, established artists to get airplay. The Eagles' "How Long" has been getting some AC play of late, and probably some country airplay, too. And it is not impossible to make successful comebacks. The Beach Boys' "Kokomo" hit #1 CHR in 1988, 22 years after their last #1 with "Good Vibrations"! (They were originally only going to try for an AC hit with "Kokomo.") And Louie Armstrong hit #1 at the height of the British invasion at the ripe old age of 64 with "Hello Dolly"! He even had to knock the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" out of #1 to do it! Interesting that Paul McCartney, as you said, is now on the other side of that ledger!

But cheer up, there will come a day when Pink, Beyonce, and Britney also become has-beens. I think this is what the Who meant when they sang, "hope I die before I get old"!

 

[gr8oldies]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

I'm counting the days until Britney becomes a has-been. Please?

 

[Starbucks]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

That may be true as fars as veteran artist today....but you also answered my question comparing the radio industry yesterday and today. Louis Armstrong did not get discrimated in 1964 as he ran neck and neck with the Beatles on the chart. If he were alive and recorded 'Hello Dolly' today...do you think he would have the same chart success on the CHR or the Hot AC chart or airplay today as he had in 1964. Even if it was selling.
Hell no.
Plus the Beach Boys "Kokomo" charted right before the Clear Channel era, as if it came out 5 years later....it would've been victimized as a light rock less talk hit.
Today's chart success is based on airplay that makes a song a national hit...not on sales alone or if very much at all. And yes the teenagers will support Beyonce, but that doesn't mean listeners over 30 plus are out of the listening picture too. That's what helped Louis Armstrong and the Beach Boys with comeback or continued chart and airplay success. But they don't include adults over 30 plus today it seems.

 

[gr8oldies]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

Of course we all know Louis Armstrong got strong airplay after "What A Wonderful World" was featured in "Good Morning Vietnam". I don't recall, though, Tony Bennett getting any CHR airplay after his MTV appearance and getting a young fan base. He just wouldn't have fit CHR in the 90s the way he would have Top 40 in the 60s.

As for "banned songs" and rumors, does anyone remember after 9/11, some PD somewhere compiled a list of songs that might be a nice idea to stay away from, and circulated it internally. Next thing you know the headlines blared "CLEAR CHANNEL CORPORATE DICTATES BANNED SONG LIST"

 

[firepoint525]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

After reading the replies I got, I decided to get out my most recent copy of the Billboard Book of Top 40 hits, and look up how well the Beatles did with their Anthology-era singles. "Free As a Bird" reached #6 on the top 40, but what is more telling is when you look at the stats on the separate "sales" and "airplay" charts. "Free As a Bird" was #5 on the sales chart, but only #60 on the airplay chart! Similar stats for the followup single, "Real Love." #11 on the overall top 40 chart, and matched its predecessor's mark of #5 on the sales chart. But no listing is even given for the airplay chart, so "Real Love" must not have even generated enough airplay to even register on the "airplay" chart!

 

[firepoint525]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

That may be true as fars as veteran artist today....but you also answered my question comparing the radio industry yesterday and today. Louis Armstrong did not get discrimated in 1964 as he ran neck and neck with the Beatles on the chart. If he were alive and recorded 'Hello Dolly' today...do you think he would have the same chart success on the CHR or the Hot AC chart or airplay today as he had in 1964. Even if it was selling.
Hell no.
Plus the Beach Boys "Kokomo" charted right before the Clear Channel era, as if it came out 5 years later....it would've been victimized as a light rock less talk hit.
Today's chart success is based on airplay that makes a song a national hit...not on sales alone or if very much at all. And yes the teenagers will support Beyonce, but that doesn't mean listeners over 30 plus are out of the listening picture too. That's what helped Louis Armstrong and the Beach Boys with comeback or continued chart and airplay success. But they don't include adults over 30 plus today it seems.

You bring up an interesting point. Billboard started using Broadcast Data Systems and Soundscan to compile their chart data beginning with the 11-30-1991 charts. This led to a lot of rap and hiphop suddenly doing a lot better on the charts than it had done previously. Much of this stuff is NOT airplay-friendly because it contains too much obscenity and words that can't be used on the radio. I have always sort of thought of this as a generational change in taste, since I turned 28 years old the week those changes went into effect. But at the same time, top 40 radio was already beginning to lose its relevance with me because I couldn't get into those heavy-metal "hair bands" that were dominating top 40 in the late '80s. And of course, the teen pop of the day (New Kids, Tiffany, etc.) weren't speaking to me either. Grunge of the early '90s was said to be a counter-reaction to all of that, but interestingly enough, it wasn't relevant to me, either! "Kokomo" must have seemed like a breath of fresh air to me and others at the time, and I was not quite 25 when it became a "surprise" hit. I was already a Beach Boys fan, so it was no surprise to me!

 

[firepoint525]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

Of course we all know Louis Armstrong got strong airplay after "What A Wonderful World" was featured in "Good Morning Vietnam". I don't recall, though, Tony Bennett getting any CHR airplay after his MTV appearance and getting a young fan base. He just wouldn't have fit CHR in the 90s the way he would have Top 40 in the 60s.

As for "banned songs" and rumors, does anyone remember after 9/11, some PD somewhere compiled a list of songs that might be a nice idea to stay away from, and circulated it internally. Next thing you know the headlines blared "CLEAR CHANNEL CORPORATE DICTATES BANNED SONG LIST"

Another interesting point! It takes movie exposure for something to become a hit. Of course, that happened several times during the '80s. "Stand By Me," "Twist and Shout," "Do You Love Me" (by the Contours) and others all became hits a second time because of their exposure in movies. And it was that exposure in movies that caused them to generate radio airplay. So radio didn't set a trend here; rather it followed one.

Of course, I should point out that "Kokomo" was in Cocktail, the Tom Cruise movie.

 

[Don62]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

After reading the replies I got, I decided to get out my most recent copy of the Billboard Book of Top 40 hits, and look up how well the Beatles did with their Anthology-era singles. "Free As a Bird" reached #6 on the top 40, but what is more telling is when you look at the stats on the separate "sales" and "airplay" charts. "Free As a Bird" was #5 on the sales chart, but only #60 on the airplay chart! Similar stats for the followup single, "Real Love." #11 on the overall top 40 chart, and matched its predecessor's mark of #5 on the sales chart. But no listing is even given for the airplay chart, so "Real Love" must not have even generated enough airplay to even register on the "airplay" chart!

Dittos.
Not only the Beach Boys and Louis Armstrong, but Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. all had "adult" hits during the 60s. I'm sure it wsan't the teenyboppers that made those artists' songs hit the top of the charts.

 

[Starbucks]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

True....but many of the adults that put "That's Life" by Frank up there were they same young adults 35 and younger contributed to the Beatles and Stones for their single chart success back then too. And i'm sure some teens contibuted to Louis Armstong's success as well. Back then there was no diversity...it was a whole population that made something chart to the top or flop. That was Top 40 radio.

 

[firepoint525]

Re: Springsteen's new CD is taboo on Clr. Ch. because the artist is "too old"

True....but many of the adults that put "That's Life" by Frank up there were they same young adults 35 and younger contributed to the Beatles and Stones for their single chart success back then too. And i'm sure some teens contibuted to Louis Armstong's success as well. Back then there was no diversity...it was a whole population that made something chart to the top or flop. That was Top 40 radio.

That's true. Gr8oldies made mention of Tony Bennett and his appearance on MTV, but I am hard-pressed to name any song of his, particularly anything that may have come out in the 1990s. I suppose it would be hard for him to get any airplay at all in the '90s if he did not have any new material, or at least any reissued older stuff.

I have seen many playlists (surveys) of Nashville top 40 stations during the '60s, and I noticed an interesting mix of top 40, country, easy listening, adult contemporary, you name it! Possibly even some local artists, too, since there were a few names on there that I was unfamiliar with. Radio did, indeed, try to be all things to all people back then.

And I am also aware that some of the "big band" leaders, like Lawrence Welk, Bert Kaempfert, and David Rose and his orchestra continued to have number 1 hits on the top 40 right up until the British invasion. The coming of the Beatles (and the resulting youth movement) kinda put an end to that. And Dean Martin's "Everybody Loves Somebody" overthrew the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" from the number 1 spot, and managed to stay there for a week, until the Supremes came in with "Where Did Our Love Go?" and overthrew him from #1.