In these Radiowaves-exclusive articles, legendary presenter Pat Courtenay shares his views, ideas, experience, and tips with our visitors…
This week he responds to another thread on the Radiowaves Forum…..
NO AUDIENCE
I was reading a Radiowaves thread in which “Lenny” raised the following question:-
“…should 2fm play wall-to-wall dance music all weekend at night???
Straight away I want to say that I have nothing against dance music but would a little bit of choice @ night go amiss???
Thoughts…..
Is the audience big enough for it?
How were the ratings for it….????
Should there be more variety?
Lenny”
Lenny, I’m no way fighting with you. You just got me thinking…”and I thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk a lot about it…” [Quote; Jefferson Airplane.] and this is what I thunk:-
In the 1700s, there was “no audience” for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. According to his major sponsor, Emperor Franz Josef of Austria, he used “too many notes.” Yeah, right.
In the ’20s, there was “no audience” for Dance Music, with wonderful names like The Charleston and The Black Bottom. So all those crazy, boozy, coke-fuelled times were invented by Hollywood? Yeah, right.
In the ’30s, there was “no audience” for Blues and Jazz. Well, I guess our grandparents lied to us about Billie Holliday and Satchmo’. Yeah right.
In the ’40s, there was “no audience” for Swing. Explain that to a perishing generation of old soldiers…and while you’re at it, try slippin’ it past Frankie and Sammy.
In the ’50s, there was “no audience” for Rock ‘n’ Roll. So, Elvis and Chuck never actually lived.
In the ’60s, there was “no audience” for The Stones…’appy Next Birfday, Keef!
In the 70s, there was “no audience” for Disco…Is John Travolta short of a quid?
When I was at University, there was “no audience” for Punk…Gently explain that to the pink-spiked ones in the street.
Since the 70s, there’s been “no audience” for Heavy Metal…Are ya rich, Ozzie?
According to every programmer I’ve ever met, there’s “no audience” for Rock…yeah, well, I guess my CD collection doesn’t really exist.
There’s STILL “no audience” for ’80s music…which is why there’s a whole bunch of 30-somethings dying to hear the overproduced, Rich-Boy soundtrack of their life.
In the ’90s, there was “no audience” for Grunge, until programmers realised that Kurt was a marketably-dying commodity.
I personally believe there should be “no audience” for Celine Dion. I’m led to believe there is.
And if there’s “no audience” for the hat-backwards, visor-sideways, baggy-jeaned, dumbarse-gesturing, “Let’s-Rap-About-Me”, plagiarising, repetitive, genetically-suntanned, basketball-shirted losers that crowd the shelves of music stores and the microchips of satellites, why do we see their clones at every bus stop???
God knows what’s next, but programmers better get their head out of their own fundamental orifice and look to history to guide their business decisions.
The latest (and I’m serious!) Cuntry Music title I heard was, “Ah thaynk it’s tahm to put a rayng on the faynger Ah’m wrapped around!”
If the world will tolerate that, there will ALWAYS be a place for music that people like!
Next:Knock-backs II – The Sequel
© Radiowaves. First published February 20th 2003