Radio Facts:
The state of urban radio with the exception of WHUR here in Washington DC and a few others across the country IS, you have NON African Americans choosing the music format, branding, management and marketing of radio stations from a perspective of… I AM NOT BLACK NOR IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC this station is targeting but I KNOW WHAT BLACK PEOPLE WANT!
This is why we hear the same music over and over and formats, promotions and overall marketing of these stations sounding VERY similar. In my opinion I prefer it to be called “COOKIE CUTTER PROGRAMMING.” Very little creativity nor deviation from a formula based on SO CALLED RESEARCH. Research with a very small select pool of people who are helping to decide what the masses of black consumers hear on the airwaves?
YOU SELDOM see this at NON URBAN STATIONS. There are VERY FEW African Americans in a position of management utilizing a cookie cutter style of programming for a mass population of a particular consumer. TRUST ME I been in this game since 1988.. I have LIVED IT…I SAW when Corporate America moved into radio taking the sense of COMMUNITY, CREATIVITY, PERSONALITY AND…most important ceasing to offer people what they ACTUALLY WANT as opposed to giving the diverse consumer an opportunity to have their wants and needs considered.
We are a diverse type of listener, we establish personal emotional ties family-like ties to MEDIA PERSONALITIES so when they are SNATCHED OFF AIRWAVES with zero explanation, listeners begin to feel their opinions and wants are unimportant. Which brings about a DISCONNECT. Throw in new technology…there is no more community nor sense of truly relating to the stations, hence, the state of urban radio today.
For some reason, some management in radio pigeon-hole on air talent making them feel obsolete and replaceable but many of us KNOW MORE AND DO MORE THAN JUST ON-AIR. I now travel consulting management giving speeches on the impact of corporation mentality destroying the desires of the consumer as well as the artistry and creativity in radio, and how digital media, new media has COMPLETELY ALTERED ALL FORMS OF TRADITIONAL MEDIA.
I KNOW the insides of radio and the political GAME BEHIND IT! Those who have been in the game 20 plus years know EXACTLY what has happened to our industry and it is disheartening and heartbreaking because unfortunately the ..THE HUMAN ELEMENT…the ENTERTAINMENT AND COMMUNITY PART OF URBAN RADIO IS GONE! It is all about MONEY, the bottom line. sad really because the urban audience is intelligent, educated, diverse and DESERVES BETTER!
We have an incredible STRENGTH and economic POWER but for whatever reason our communities across the country are force-fed what NON AFRICAN AMERICANS THINK WE WANT AND some of the programming TO ME is an insult to the intelligence and diversity we have as CONSUMERS.
NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT THIS perhaps TOO scared or simply incapable of expressing their thoughts and experiences in a manner that doesn’t come off as bitter and or hostile.
But for those of you who know my story and past health challenges at times NEAR DEATH, when you go through such experiences it changes you perception of FEAR. It is no longer apart of your being. Faith and purpose allows one to SPEAK TRUTH! I am HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON! If you like to discuss further or looking for an experienced speaker consultant or strategist on this subject and many others, reach out. I have taken all my MANY YEARS of experience in all aspects of media, branding marketing, the economics and political aspects of this business and so much more to help others in their endeavors. THIS IS WHAT I DO.
Next month I launch my new venture to give corporations, organizations, start-ups, individuals as well as other industry professionals the opportunity to learn and benefit from all the wisdom I have gained over the past YEARS I have worked in ALL ASPECTS of media it is MY HOPE that simply beginning a dialogue on this subject and more many can be enlightened to so many aspects of one of our oldest forms of impacting others through communication and the disseminating of information..
Olivia Fox
@OliviaFoxRadio – Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, linkedIn, Google+ TheVine