Radio in the United States is dominated by a few mega-corporations. Unlike the Internet, where there are thousands of sources of music, Radio stations are owned and programmed by just those few corporations. In Los Angeles where Spanish language radio stations dominate the market, and the most popular English language stations are those playing “Oldies” (there are five of those!) there seems to be room for only a very limited selection of music on the radio presets.
A Tale Of Two Corporations: Clear Channel Communications with Ryan Seacrest as the morning disc jockey and Emmis Communications, with Rick Dees creating a variety of sound effects to accompany his drive-time radio program every morning as the corporations battle for market share in the gigantic Los Angeles broadcast market.
Rick Dees was the featured Dj on KIIS-FM since 1982. Known for his extensive library of sound effects tapes he is quite a personable guy, which is welcome at six-oclock in the morning. His website has a few features, www.rick.com/index.cfm?p=24 like which songs and artists are at the top of the sales charts for the week and a few celebrity gossip pics. (By the way I write about Celebrity Relationships at www.getoverthem.blogspot.com )
Rick Dees has a highly developed comedic talent and features alot of skits and stunts on his program. This is great if you are into that type of entertainment early in the morning, but that leads me to ask the question: Where Is The Music?
I need to hear the new releases and up to now have counted on radio to let me know what is going-on musically in America.
KIIs-FM is a Clear Channel Communications station and one morning in February, 2004 the communications giant asked Rick Dees to leave, and he was as shocked as his loyal audience.
KZLA 93.9 was Lost Angeles Country Music radio station for several decades. It’s signal covered tens-of-thousands of square miles (Los Angeles-Ventura-Orange Counties=15 million residents.) and was owned by Emmis Communications, a smaller media company. The station’s listeners were abruptly switched from twanging guitars to Rhythmic Pop Contemporary one morning by the evil corporate masters that are the true kings of media.
Movin 93.9 was thus born, soon to be swaddled by…Rick Dees! The broken circle was mended, and one segment of the listening Los Angeles public was reunited with an old friend.
Meanwhile back at KIIS-Fm a new voice was added to the morning-drive-time radio spectrum, Ryan Seacrest of American Idol hosting fame, was the DJ playing the chart-toppers for the younger portion of the morning audience. www.ryanseacrest.com is the link to his namesake site, and it has America’s Top 40, www.at40.com , which is a Premiere Radio Network production, and of course an www.americanidol.com link. Ryan Seacrest’s site is a more complete entertainment site, as Clear Channel Communications has more integration with the Internet than Rick Dees Entertainment does.
Movin 93.9 features the artists Beyonce, Usher, Black Eyed Peas, that grand old scandelous lady, Madonna, and the historic wardrobe malfunctioning artiste, Janet Jackson and Gnarls Barkley. Rhythmic Pop Contemporary is also on ear at KIIS-FM. from lovely downtown Burbank to the San Fernando Valley, from the desert to the mountains not a Dixie Chick is picking out a tune to accompany a three-part-harmony.
Lost Angeles needs and deserves a Country Music Station! More CD’s and DVD’s are sold in southern California than anywhere else in the United States! Corporate America melt your broadcasting swords into market plowshares and give the listening audience songs that they can sing-along-to on their way to work.
