January 20th, 2008The demise of KY 102 serves to damn the system that killed it
I’m not here to cheer or grieve the end of 99.7 KY.
I know some of the folks who were made unrestricted free agents last week when Entercom dissolved the iconic rock station, and I feel genuinely bad for them.
Otherwise, I’m neutral: I don’t spend much time with commercial radio.
A lot of the negative comments that have been posted on KansasCity.com and Back to Rockville in reaction to KY’s demise are a bit over-the-top and personal, as if the DJs broke some public trust. If you’re angry at anyone, make it the people who really decide what gets played on the air — and it isn’t the on-air personalities.
Most classic-rock formats never expanded their playlists beyond one era. If Zeppelin was classic rock in 1980, why isn’t Nirvana classic rock in 2008? Or Violent Femmes or the Pixies? Did they ever play the Ramones?
The format also didn’t acknowledge that younger bands — Wolfmother, the White Stripes, the Libertines (to pull a few off the top of my head) — were making music that fit the classic-rock format. Did KY play those bands? I assume not, but I could be wrong. I’m pretty sure the station played the Black Crowes, but why not the Hives or Rancid?
I don’t think the music it played killed KY. Younger kids are catching on to the golden years of rock. I had lunch recently with a guy who has been in the radio business (off-air) for decades. He was telling me his son is getting into the classic-rock canon through the video game “Guitar Hero.” I’ve seen the same thing: high school kids singing along to “School’s Out” or “Carry On Wayward Son” while their buddy navigated the rhythm guitar progressions on-screen.
This weekend I judged at a high school debate tournament in Liberty. Between rounds I watched some of the boys basketball game. During one time-out, the PA played “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and the student section erupted.
The best classic rock music isn’t outdated; in fact, I think it sounds better than ever. Having heard so many dull and barely adequate hard-rock bands over the years, I have developed a fresh appreciation for the genius of Led Zeppelin — the perfect synthesis of violence and precision, beauty and fury. Why would a station ever not play them?
The music wasn’t KY’s problem. The repetition was, and that’s the problem with nearly all commercial radio. Most stations have a playlist of less than a few dozen songs. If they add one, they drop another. Even if they’re playing music half the time they’re on the air, say, 84 hours a week, that’s way too much repetition.
But that’s how Top 40 hits are made: by coercion. You bombard listeners with a song so much they submit to it. (“Hey there, Delilah!”) It’s also how listeners are cultivated: You assure them implicitly that every time they tune in they’ll hear something familiar. Some people don’t like surprise or risk or change. They like habits and routines. They take comfort living in a deep, warm rut.
Even if it excluded music recorded after 1990, KY could have entertained those listeners and cultivated more by enriching its playlist. If you play the Eagles, why not the Flying Burrito Brothers? If the Stones, why not the New York Dolls or MC5? The Stooges? It’s not because the DJs didn’t want it; it’s the suit-and-tie guys, consultants, etc.
As for the wider question of stations playing “new” bands or independent artists: Radio long ago surrendered the illusion that it breaks or promotes new artists. Songs that get on playlists get there for reasons that have little if anything to do with a DJ’s personal tastes. There’s a lot of quid pro quo behind it (concert promotions, etc.) and other “incentives” that small bands and small labels can’t offer.
