Countrys crossed Wires

Janice Brooks · From: Pleasant Gap Pa

Country's crossed wires: Radio conglomerates, record labels have contradictory agendas

By CRAIG HAVIGHURST
Staff Writer

The country music radio and record industries have had a stormy but ultimately successful marriage for more than 50 years — one whose ''anniversary'' is celebrated each year at the Country Radio Seminar. The industrywide convention begins Wednesday at the Nashville Convention Center.

But six years after a federal law sparked massive and rapid radio industry consolidation, the agendas of Music Row and the arbiters of the airwaves have never been further apart, label chiefs and others say.

''You indeed have a widening of the cavern between country radio's target audience and record labels' target buyers,'' said Lon Helton, country editor of R&R magazine and a board member of the Country Music Association trade group. ''It's nothing radio is doing insidiously. It's just part of marching orders from being part of a cluster as opposed to being a stand-alone'' station seeking as wide an audience as possible.

''Cluster'' programming refers to radio companies that run multiple stations across many formats in one market. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 lifted caps on the number of stations a company can own, both within a market and overall.

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Despite a small uptick in country record sales in 2001, label executives see country record sales in the doldrums for a fifth straight year, and they want to introduce new artists and sounds to the airwaves to inspire a country comeback. That means reaching a broad range of consumers, especially those age 18 to 35 who might become lifelong fans.

But many of those label people argue that radio companies, turning to centralized, consultant-driven programming, are marginalizing country by targeting older female listeners. That has led to many fewer songs being played, more frequent spinning of hits and a more restricted sound. Younger listeners, who buy about half of all recorded music in the United States, are being targeted by radio groups with their rock and urban-music stations.

Marginalizing music

Country label executives — such as Mike Dungan at Capitol Nashville, Mike Kraski at Sony Nashville, Luke Lewis of Mercury Nashville and Lost Highway Records, and Tony Brown of Universal South — have publicly decried the audience-narrowing agenda of radio.

''They're asking country programmers to target (age) 35-plus females. And that's really sort of restrictive,'' Lewis said.

Broadcasters and advertisers divide the audience into demographic groups, based on age, sex, income and other factors. Virtually all stations target their programming to a particular group.

Lewis says that those who write, perform and record country songs aren't likely to get a hit unless they appeal to a woman age 35 and over.

''Their first concern is that (the music) appeals to that narrow segment of the population, and if it doesn't, the record probably isn't going to go all the way. And in my mind that's backed up in the creative community, to where everybody's really cognizant of the fact that the target demo has to be serviced before any consideration of anything else.''

The erosion of listeners from country, Lewis believes, isn't a great concern to group-owned stations.

''Their revenues aren't down, and if they've lost listeners, they picked them up across town,'' on another of their stations programmed in a different musical format.

Helton concurs that ''you're winding up with large clusters of co-owned stations in markets, and when that happens many times the target of each individual station is adjusted so that it complements and doesn't infringe on the audience of its cluster sisters.''

Country, he agrees, is being decisively aimed at older women.

Radio groups say a certain amount of targeting is inevitable in an advertising-driven medium.

''What gets played on Clear Channel stations is driven by consumer research from the listening audience,'' said Clear Channel spokeswoman Pam Taylor. ''Yes, we have targeted demos.''

Tayor says audiences of the adult contemporary format, which includes such artists as Celine Dion and Brian McKnight, tend to be women. The rock formats, with such artists as Creed and Linkin Park, appeal to a male audience.

''But I wonder if they don't give us way too much credit to think we could change the demographics of country,'' she said.

If more conservative play lists have substantially changed the male-to-female balance of the audience, it hasn't shown up in ratings yet. According to Katz Media Group in New York, fall 2001 figures from the Arbitron Co. show the overall country audience has been 55% female fairly steadily since 1998.

Country listeners are older than those of most other radio formats, but it's impossible to predict whether younger demographic groups would buy lots of country albums if they could be attracted to the radio format.

Still, the perception that country radio is alienating potential fans with conservatively programmed music persists.

Kraski, Sony Nashville's vice president and general manager, feels so strongly about the tilt at radio that he includes his sentiments in his corporate bio: ''Radio's consolidation (and) its self-serving market fragmentation, which brings no desire to expand country's audience, all weigh heavily on the medium's future potential.''

Radio reduction

Radio people are no happier, because even though country remains the nation's most widespread format with more than 2,000 stations, it has lost market share steadily since 1997.

Just from 2000 to 2001, the number of U.S. adults who say they frequently listen to country fell from 43 million to 41.7 million, according to Mediamark Research Inc., based in New York.

The executive director of the Country Radio Broadcasters, the organization that puts on CRS, says country's share of the total audience reached by three of the nation's largest radio markets — Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles — declined 25% from fall 2000 to fall 2001.

''It's not very reassuring,'' Paul Allen said. ''And you couple that with the realization that it wasn't a migration from country to news/talk. Because you'd think after 9/11 that's what would have happened. As it turned out, the migration appeared to be to other formats.''

The result at radio has been widespread ''frustration,'' according to consultant and journalist Jimmy Carter. Based on his constant contact with local radio people and feedback he gets to his country radio column on the Web site All Access Media Group, he says programmers can't play unusual records, largely because their play lists are determined by consultants or corporate executives.

''They definitely can't break the mold. They're all worried about their jobs, and they don't want to take chances,'' Carter said. ''Although there are a few stations around the country that have that power, the majority of them are frustrated and feel like they have their hands tied behind their back.''

Country music observers see several music trends that could reinvigorate country radio, if the shackles were taken off local programmers.

KPLX-FM in Dallas jumped from the middle of the pack to the top of its market in part by including contemporary Texas artists like Pat Green and Charlie Robison on its play list. Texas has often been the source of country surges in the past, but many programmers believe today's Texas artists are too strident or rock-oriented for the target country audience.

Others see artists associated with the triple-platinum soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? as a catalyst that's not getting its chance. The general lack of airplay for an album that sold more than 3 million copies will be a subject of discussion at the Country Radio Seminar.

There is also evidence that listeners from all musical formats are seeking alternatives to commercial radio. According to a study from MeasureCast, time spent listening to Internet radio increased 469% in 2001.

Craig Havighurst can be reached at 259-8041 or at chavighurst@tennessean.com.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Leigh Howell · From: Edinburgh, Scotland * R.I.P.

Thanks for sharing that article with us Janice.

Leigh

J W Hock · From: Anderson, Texas, USA

Anyone halfway observant can see the effects of this. I live in a predominately
rural part of Texas and also teach high
school. Guess what the vast majority of teenage "country" kids listen to ? Urban
gangsta rap and hip hop ! Boys especially have no reason to listen to the suburban
housewife music played on country radio .
A whole generation of listeners is being lost.

Geoff Cole · From: Marrara N.T. Australia

Sorry for appearing nieve, but what is the alternative and will it sell?

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

I guess what it all means is (Rubbish) is no longer disposed of,

it's now sold.

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CJC

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Janice, this is right on. The feminization of country music (ala: Belly buttons, Chicks With Dicks, and Faith Hill kissing her boy friends) leaves males with no incentive to listen to country radio. The only alternative is Alternative. I classify Alternative as any country music with artistic value. The radio stations are purposely destroying country music through their marketing to older female consumers. If its white, male and country,and kicks a$$, they won't play it. Its racist!

Ron Page · From: Penn Yan, NY USA

Gosh! And here I thought it was just me (and the good folks on this forum). I knew it was aimed at 35-year-old women. I just knew it! Earth to program managers: That's a little to narrow of demographic.

I think it's about time the so-called experts quit looking at Alan Jackson and George strait as some sort of anomaly and started seeing them and their music as the large and fruitfull market they represent.

I'm not going to listen to a radio station because I happen to regard the music they play as the least undesirable in town. I do not listen to country radio for 5-minutes a week anymore. I used to allow my wife to push the radio button because my CD's are too country for her. Anymore, I'd rather have her hit the on/off button.

Thanks to you all, I've recently bought CD's by Gene Watson, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Justin Trevino and Dale Watson. Not one tune of theirs have I heard on the radio. I also bought AJ's latest, despite the fact that radio will play it.

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HagFan

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

Geoff Cole and Ron Page have jointly, and perhaps unwittingly, hit the proverbial nail on the head regarding this issue.

Radio stations are NOT doing what they do for the fun and enjoyment of it -- nor for any artistic value either. They're doing it to make as much money as they can grab. They target specific demographic segment because, by doing so, they can optimize advertisement sales, and in turn, maximize profit. They don't give a rat's @$$ what they play. They'd play Gregorian Chants if it meant they'd maximize profit.

Then again, nobody is forcing anyone to listen to the radio. On top of that, there is now more prerecorded music available at the highest quality, and at perhaps the lowest relative price, than there ever has been.

If you like a particular artist, then buy his/her music -- go to his/her shows -- send them a check in the mail!! Do what ever you want, but don't listen to the stinking crap they're playing on the radio!! When you listen to crap, all you're doing is supporting the propegation of additional crap.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Long live Charlie Robison!

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