All Aspects of the Music Industry ... Where It All Comes Together.

Why can't we have a better live music scene?

I know....this is a loaded question but we need to have a discussion on it. A long honest overdue discussion.

Everyone loves music. Not everyone ventures out of their immediate neighborhood. With the new prospects that occur. (Yes prospects...not gloom and doom) there is the perfect opportunity for folks to organize affordable gigs right around where they live, in the neighborhoods where the music came from. A win/win situation for everyone.

Should this transcend racism, sexism, ageism and classism? Of course it should. Isn't this the change we must believe in?

I would be really interested in what folks have to say.

Kevin Amos

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by KA on May 23, 2009 at 8:31pm: Can any of you folks tell tell why in your opinion Sheridan just sold three stations here in Pittsburgh?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Paul Baughman on May 23, 2009 at 9:08pm: Without googling it first, I would guess they probably figured they have all the revenue they can generate with what ever stations they have and running the remaining three was just not worth it.. maybe something like that. The cost of running the three stations might cancel out the over all profits in this market.. What do you say? Your the radio guy here. What's your opinion?

I'm going to google the sale your talking about. BRB; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Paul Baughman on May 23, 2009 at 9:10pm: Sheridan Broadcasting announced it's selling its three Pittsburgh radio stations, including flagships WAMO-AM and WAMO-FM, the city's only urban radio stations.

At about 4 p.m. Friday, employees of the three stations were notified of the sale and told their positions would all be eliminated.

St. Joseph Missions is buying the cluster for $8.9 million and plans to turn WAMO into a religious radio station.

WAMO will still broadcast hip hop and R&B until the deal is finalized.

About 35 full and part-time employees will lose their jobs.

I also found this article that points to a new method they are using to measure radio audiences : The Arbitron Portable People Meter.

It's toward the end of the article.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rowen S. Poole on May 23, 2009 at 10:24pm: Paul,

Actually, I totally agree with you. Radio is a lost cause, despite the fact it's also the salvation most musicians need.

Yeah, it's a real shame that the Arts are always the first thing to fall under the cost-cutting axe. I am sure there's plenty of cash left in there for the support and promotion of the various sports teams in the state though.

As far as digital radio goes, I dunno. I DJ'd for Seismic Radio for a while. The problem with digital/internet is that there are so many channels from so many different places, none of them really can stand out and become very influential.

There's also our superb Congress who agreed, several years ago, to increase royalty fees for internet radio stations to something like 3-4 times that of what a conventional radio station would pay. I have not followed up on this recently but there was some activity to repeal the stupidity. The end result was we ended up playing all independent bands that had no label representation. Not that I am complaining but the whole thing was designed to discourage internet radio.

Assimilate eh? Are you sure you don't mean Resistance is Futile! ;)

-R; ▶ Reply to This