FROM CMJunk

what's a radio?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this will change the complexion of radio roughly not at all...Maybe the Shins will get more air time.

they'll just enforce it on HD radio which no one listens to.

and what exactly does this mean? what type of wrongdoings?

fuck!
why?
no!

I'm all for bands I like making some $$$ and for them to reach as many fans as humanly possible, but indie music doesn't need radio anymore, radio is done.

honestly, is anyone on this board discovering new music through their alternative radio station?

i made a few discoveries last year via a local college am station, but for the most part, no.

that's what i thought it might've meant, but i still don't really get it. because they have to play independent music, they get a trade-off to not admit to payola? that makes no sense.

Corporate radio will "brand" indie music much like it did "alternative." "Indie" will then become a term to describe a homogenized 'sound' and therefore stripped of its original meaning.

isn't it already to a certain extent...

it's been like this for a long time. how many "indie" bands are on major labels?

it makes some sense. they took payola from major labels, and helped them to monopolize the radio, making it harder for independents to get their stuff heard. so if the FCC has that dirt on them, what should they do? they could fine them--that would punish the radio conglomerates and hopefully get them to stop, but where does the money go? making the stations play independent artists counteracts some of the damage done by payola, and punishes the stations (they don't get to play what they want) sufficiently that further punishment (e.g. a hearing, finding of guilt, and fines) isn't necessary. at least that's probably what the reasoning would be. i like this kind of creative solution.

Well, my guess is that the FCC would require that they play artists who are not affiliated with major labels, i.e. who are actually independent, not just artists who the radio stations can fit into some fuzzy descriptor.

[quote="Z]t's been like this for a long time. how many "indie" bands are on major labels?[/quote]

True and true.

What I’m saying though is, it is only a matter of time that “indie” will come to mean one type of sound. At least now, we’ve got variation on the theme – Sufjan Stevens doesn’t sound like Wolf Parade doesn’t sound like Joana Newsome doesn’t sound like Beirut doesn’t sound like The Walkmen, etc. The only thing they share in common is that they are from independent not corporate labels. Once radio gets involved, they will homogenize the sound and appropriate the nomenclature.

Well, probably not, because they play crap. College radio on the other hand? I hear cool stuff all the time on WRAS ans especially WREK. Unfortunately, I don't usually know what it is because I don't have the patience to wait through a bunch of less interesting stuff so some listless student DJ can stumble through the names of the tracks I just heard.

So I do agree that ordinary FM radio has pretty much become an obsolete format. However, I would probably listen a little more if there were some professional stations playing the sort of stuff I hear on college radio.

I think most indie artist would be ecstatic to hear their stuff on the radio. I know many are super excited to get played on public radio, and hardly anyone listens to that crap.

this is just going to mean some enterprizing indies are going to start putting out pop garbage like the majors do.

We've got a nightly show on our local NPR that plays "indie" stuff time to time...

http://www.whro.org/home/publicradio/wh ... ng/outbox/

The best radio though around here is on the college station which has limited range -- I can only hear it in town but once out of town...bye bye.

I really think you and MiceElf are blowing this out of proportion. In all likelihood, this will mean that some small percentage of play time will have to be devoted to independent artists, probably not enough for indies to change their promotion strategy much, and certainly not enough to make them change their A&R strategies.

I'm really only talking about commercial stations here...college radio is somewhat hit and miss, depends on the college and the DJ really.

In practice, it may help a few companies. Philosophically, though, I want the FCC boiled in lead and thrown into the sea.

The "how dare you exist and tell me what to do you fucking Nazis " factor will never go away.

Anyone that listens to the radio 30 minutes per day or more, and doesn't have satellite radio is either ignorant of the difference or just an idiot.

Glad to see Satellite radio soar past 10 million users...I get exposed to a ton of new music / genres with it

"Gee, I wish there was some kind of device available that would let me call them right away and ask them what is playing."

maybe it's for people who aren't like us, who only buy stuff that they're familiar with through the radio. Like 98% of America.

It isn't going to hurt us if bands we like get more exposure to the masses.