The vicious world of   Radio

Written by streetroachpics.com

09/05/06

I am sure many you have noticed the flow of radio dj’s coming and going not only in commercial radio but even in public radio. Streetroachpics.com will try to inform you of this wild animal called management that determines who stays and who goes.

Our first case or fact is Radio One and the Big Phat Morning show.  This show has won awards and has been some what of a positive out look on Baltimore city.  The ratings are high but some will say that is because there is not a local Urban competitor.  The cast of the Big Phat Morning show is Marc Clark, Troy Johnson   Sonjay. and Dj Spontaneous. Well according to DCRTV.com , the show maybe yanked this week.  There was a rumor floating around that the show was to be canceled at the end of the year but the average person just saw it as a rumor. Well , to those who did not know it , Marc Clark and others did not get the invite to the 25 years of radio that Radio One hosted but Sonjay was invited or was she just a date. You would think since the awards ceremony  was only 40 miles away that all local affiliates who wanted to come would be invited.  Some may say Radio One is making cut backs to keep the bottom line low. I am sure the 3 members of the morning show are making a large salaries and Radio One wants to recoup that money  by putting  lower cost players in those slots of the Big Phat  morning show or putting in a 50 year old hip hop junkie that is syndicated.  Radio One has new management after  the HWFM(head white female) left the national program management position.  Rumor has it that the only safe DJ’s are the ones who started out with Kathy Hughes for example Steph Lover and Konan and the other people who interned at the am station that launch Radio one back when Kathy was still in the day to day.

Clear Channel  is the Don of  Radio.  Clear Channel is so big it  make no senses.  Clear Channel  really shapes radio and if  not radio , it does shape Urban Radio.  Radio One may own 80 station where as Clear Channel owns a 1000.  I am not going to go in to detail about how much power Clear Channel has because that would be a best selling book but I will say Game will never beat a Clear Channel DJ up and get away with it “point blank”.   Clear Channel moves and fires DJ’s every week so it really no big deal but lets look at HOT 99.5 a pop/hip hop station . They had a DJ name Albe De interview a guy then  Clear Channel turns around and fires AL the next day and the guy he interviewed  replaced Al.   Clear Channel did a Microsoft to a few others basically firing them from the parking lot . You stuff is downstairs and do not enter the building.

Just when you thought it was hope. You know public radio. Well if  Clear Channel is the Don of  Commerical Radio, Pacifica is   high on the list of public radio.  Don’t let the word non profit fool you. They have bean counters too.   Public radio has to compete for  listeners like commercial radio.  They have to make changes and  have cost  too.  Well the Nubian Lamb or  WPFW  was the victim . For the past 10 years, Pacifica has been killing off the old programming of WPFW and replacing it with new. It has been so bloody over in Adams Morgan that they had to cover it up with a control board  to make it look fair. Amy allegedly was the eyes and ears of management being that Pacifica is a on the west. It is ironic that the great news Liberal Amy  was really looking out for the man  according to rumors.