The sound of music has changed over the last few years! With that change, has come the way music is fed to us. Instead of Program and Music Directors having a say in how the station should sound, they are now being told what to play and when to play it.Along the way, indie artist, from all genres of music, are not getting a chance to be heard.Sure you may have a few independent radio stations that still hold true to the way music is SUPPOSE to be played,or stations will have a time slot for indie artist Then of course you have College radio, which plays some of everything and should be a really good friend to indie artist,( did you get that artist?)….The artist that are hurt the most are those that cater to a Urban/Black Audience.Why? Black Radio, as in everything else in entertainment, set the trend in the sound, style, and flow of music. Back in the day we had so much of a variety in music and you could get it all on one station.

When Former President Clinton, signed a bill that gave owners the power to have a monopoly on stations, a couple of things happened: Black Station Owners sold out for money and smaller stations could no longer compete with BIGGER stations and they were forced out. By the way, Former President Clinton was informed that this was going to happen and he still signed the bill; still think he is the FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT?

There are very few Black Owned Radio Stations; these same stations are trying to compete with the big boys for advertising dollars, which they can only get based on RATINGS! So when that doesn’t happen they struggle and then turn their attention to Syndicated Shows to bring up ratings. Now there is nothing wrong with having SOME syndicated shows, but NO STATION can survive without having some local presence on the air. BLACK RADIO is about connecting with your community! Be the ears and eyes for the community. I like Tom Joyner, Micheal Baiseden, Doug Banks, Al Sharpton, and others, but they can ONLY discuss things from a NATIONAL VIEW. In every community we have issues that need to be discussed on a local level and along with that, indie artist in these markets need the exposure, the support from the communities and States where they reside and/or come from. Every musical artist, at some point, before their music took off was a struggling artist and each and everyone of them, you can name any artist,  they will tell you that some radio station back home gave them a chance. That is what we need to go back to.

It MUST BE THE MUSIC! I am not just saying this just to say it, I am saying this because I have worked in Radio since I was 17yrs. old! I was a Dsc-Jockey, Promotions Director, Music Director, and Program Director. So I am speaking from experience, from attending REAL music conferences where you actually went to seminars to network with others in the field, to meet and hear new artist. Radio Stations sent their directors to these events, to learn the business of radio. Well I quess when you have some suit who sits in his or her office and determines what should be played and when then Radio Stations and Music Conferences don’t matter. For the Black Community, that is a problem. We need BLACK RADIO and WE NEED INDIE ARTIST to make a difference not just for the creative differences, but to say things when others can’t or won’t. Bring my radio back, because it must be the music.

Phinesse Demps