Localism and Independence at Infinity Radio Stations: The
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LOCALISM AND INDEPENDENCE AT INFINITY RADIO STATIONS: THE MANY WAYS WE SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES INFORMATION AS OF JANUARY 2, 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS TAB LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT MUSIC: Infinity Airs Local, Unsigned and Independent Label Artists A LOCAL INVOLVEMENT: Infinity Stations Are Involved with Their Communities and Charitable Causes B INDEPENDENT AND LOCAL PROGRAMMING: Infinity Stations Make Independent Programming Decisions to Address the Needs of Their Communities C LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION: Infinity Stations Assure Coverage of Local and National Emergency News and Information D 2 LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT MUSIC: Infinity Airs Local, Unsigned and Independent Label Artists Atlanta WAOK Although WAOK is a talk station, it has interviewed local artists and CEOs of small local labels. WVEE WVEE airs several local artists in its music rotations. Examples of local artists on the station’s playlist include: Outkast, Jagged Edge, The Youngbloods, Monica, Ludacris and Usher. WVEE also helped launch new hip-hop artist Bone Crusher’s career when it aired his single “Never Scared” as the “Atlanta Pick of the Week.” Local artists Desire also got their big break when they were featured on a radio spot for the station. From that exposure they began recording an album. WZGC Each week on Sunday night WZGC airs a legendary program called “The Dunhams.” The Dunhams is an hour-long show, beginning at 9:00 pm, which features live local performances from local and independent artists such as Stealth Trucks Band, moe., Disco Biscuits, Vicki Salz, and Sloppy Joe, among very many others. Most of the artists played on The Dunhams get little to no radio airplay otherwise and many are local bands. Austin Cluster All three of Infinity Austin's FM stations air the music of small label and no label local artists. Through station concert events Infinity promotes these artists by having them perform as opening acts to headliners. KAMX KAMX-FM's (Mix 94.7) "JB and Sandy Morning Show" features local artists and plays samples of local music, on a monthly basis. JB and Sandy also interview local artists on air, informing listeners as to where they can purchase CD's or attend performances. For example, the "JB and Sandy Beach Party" (KAMX's annual summer concert) featured two artists with no labels in August: Virginia Coalition and Wide Awake. 3 KKMJ KKMJ-FM (Majic 95.5) airs "The Majic of Austin Music Show" every Sunday Night. This is a two-hour slot where 90% of the music played is by local artists on small or no labels. For example, on a recent program local singer Ashley Culler visited the station to give a live performance. Majic also features numerous local artists during the "Majic of Christmas" programming, where for over a month Majic plays only Christmas music. Many cuts are from local artists and groups, while some are from local church choirs. KQBT KQBT-FM (Beat 104.3) consistently airs music from small labels. For example KQBT recently gave airplay to new artist Baby Bash, before Baby Bash was signed to Universal records. In addition, one local artist or group is featured every Sunday night during the "BEAT HOT 20 COUNTDOWN". KQBT also books up and coming local and independent artists to perform before opening acts at Beat 104.3 concerts. Baltimore WBMD-AM WBMD is a daytime Christian station featuring preaching and teaching ministries. Its “Sound of Gospel” Music segments feature Southern Gospel music and routinely spotlights the work of local artists. WBGR-AM WBGR plays at least five percent local music during the music sweep weekly, as well as grants interviews to local artists. WLIF WLIF has featured local and unsigned artists as introductory acts for other, major-label artists at semi-annual concerts. Family entertainment events also have included choral troupes and solo singers, such as local Baltimore favorite, Angela Taylor. WQSR WQSR often features local artists on its morning show, “Rouse & Company.” These performances range from local and regional choral groups to featured performances by local, unsigned artists who have released format-suitable material. WQSR has also featured artists signed to independent labels as introductory acts for other, major-label 4 artists in station-sponsored concert environments. WWMX WWMX often features local artists on its morning show, “Jojo & Kenny.” These performances range from local and regional choral groups to featured performances in an “up close” out-of-studio environment. WWMX has also featured artists signed to independent labels as introductory acts for other, major-label artists at semi-annual concerts. WXYV WXYV’s usual menu of talk programming is an unusual but fruitful haven for local, unsigned and independent label artists. Each week, the “Out to Lunch” program features live performances by local, unsigned artists. The program’s duration is one hour, but often extends an additional half-hour, based upon listener reaction to, and input about, the performances. Boston WBCN-FM WBCN has played independent/small label music since its inception in 1968 and continues to do so. When Viacom purchased CBS/Infinity, WBCN’s programming was not altered. Currently, the Transplants (Hellcat), Interpol (Matador), and Hot Hot Heat (Sub Pop) are in rotation. Other bands being played on labels that are not part of the “big five” labels include Creed (Wind-Up), Moby (V2), and the White Stripes (V2). Further, WBCN’s weekly new music show on Sunday nights, “Nocturnal Emissions,” features two hours of brand new music with over 90% from small or independent labels. This show has been in existence since the late seventies. Nocturnal Emissions is followed by “Boston Emissions,” two hours of new Boston music selected from tapes, records and discs. A number of these bands do not even have local record labels. WBCN also features a “Local Band of the Month,” which the station features on air and on its Web site. The station Web site provides exposure for the local artist by providing an opportunity for listeners to listen to a song from the artist any time, posting a biography of the artist, and posting a link to the artist’s web site for more information. The station also features a “Local Song of the Week” and an “Indie Song of the Week” on air and on its Web site. In addition, for the past 24 years, WBCN has presented an annual Battle of the Bands called the “WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble.” The Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble displays the talents of 24 local bands over nine nights at a local venue. To participate in the Rumble a band cannot have a major label deal. 5 WBCN has a long history of playing bands and artists on labels large and small. This past year alone it played bands in rotation on such labels as Extasy, TVT, Volcano, Vagrant, Ultimatum, Roadrunner, Side One Dummy, Matador, BWR, Kinetic, Palm Pictures, Epitaph and Artist Direct among others. WBMX WBMX has made local New England music a part of its musical equation. First and foremost, WBMX plays a number of local acts in active rotation; Dedham & Hull natives Vertical Horizon, Augusta Maine's Howie Day, Norwell product Susan Tedeschi, and Somerville’s own Guster are some of the local acts who have received considerable airplay on WBMX. WBMX is also willing to take completely unknown local acts and feature them in regular programming. One example was Plural, the brainchild of local club dancer Nayoko, who’s single “Crazy Talk” was given over 50 spins despite a lack of any formal record contract. The station has also done some specialty programming geared toward local music. For example, in February 2003, WBMX held a contest for local acts to win the opening slot at a club performance for national recording act Sixpence None The Richer. The station received hundreds of tapes from all over the region. The station featured some of the submitted tracks during the week before announcing a winner. The winning entry came from a regional performer named Pete Kilpatrick, who not only opened the show but also played live on the station’s “Mix Morning Show.” The station also includes local musicians in its special events. Vertical Horizon opened Mixfest, and Howie Day will play the December 2003 Holiday Hoedown. Susan Tedeschi played the 2002 Holiday Hoedown. In addition, the station was a major sponsor of a huge free show at City Hall by Guster, which drew over 40,000 Bostonians. The station also features local acts in many of its station public appearances, including local favorites Chad LaMarsh and Entrain.; Dick & Jane, another local band, played live in the festival area of its Mixfest 2002 concert, which also featured local bands Guster and Rubyhorse. As for small label presence on the WBMX playlist, labels like Tone Cool (Susan Tedeschi), Wind-Up (Evanescence), GreyCliff (Plural), TVT (Default, Pay The Girl), V2 (Katy Rose), Octone (Maroon 5), Aware (John Mayer), Lost Highway (Lucinda Williams), Connoisseur (Brooke), Nettwerk (Luce) and Roadrunner (Theory Of A Deadman) have all had songs in active rotation on WBMX. WZLX 6 WZLX is active in the local music scene despite its focus on Classic Rock. It is always interested in helping the local musician. For example, it was very involved in the relaunch of the local favorite “Boston” back in the Spring. The station held a special CD release party, was the first in the country to play cuts from the new CD, and featured the band at its 18th birthday show. Even further, WZLX is the only major station playing a new local CD from Delp and Goudreau on a local label. The station averages 7 to 10 spins per week. The station’s Sunday morning Blues Show is another venue for local music and helps the local blues segment.