Let's Move On

Wednesday June 3rd supporters of the Local Radio Freedom Act declared

That Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.

The language is clear. This resolution is supported by 222 members of Congress which is over half and counting. The success of the Performance Rights Act HR 848 appears to have stalled.

Actually, I was invigorated by all the responses on both sides of this issue. I am a life long radio man. My opinion is that artist should take the battle to the record companies. Quoting from the producer of Disappearing Voices Iyanna Jones, "I think to pay artists on major labels that are getting a lot of money or are getting huge advances should not be a priority as far as the Black community is concerned." With that said, let's move on and focus on the real issues concerning the Black community about radio.

Many individuals voiced and posted their issues with radio in cyberspace and that was encouraging because people are tired of listening to what they are hearing. Radio is an important medium that should not be overlooked. The best thing that can happen for the Black community is to wake up the sleeping giant within us and come together to demand greater participation in media ownership and better quality from Black radio. Equal access is paramount.

There were so many attacks on Radio One that they seemed personal. The picture is bigger than Radio One. There should competition between Black Owners too. It would great to have at least two different Black owners in every major metro areas where millions of Blacks are. There is no competition in Radio everybody is doing the same thing. And the Telecommunications Act supposedly was to bring more competition to the communities. It did not. Our legislators who supported the Act were "bamboozled."

Think about this, questioning the legislation that has radio operating the way it does today. We can't blame Radio One, for going into syndication. When their competitors 96% of them syndicate programming. Syndication technology and programming saves millions of dollars through human resource elimination. Faced with the same choices as Radio One you would probably do the same thing. So cut them some slack and focus on changing rules/legislation to bring diverse and local programming to the radio.

I do not like syndicated programming it's built on the same business formula that all syndication uses. Do not forget that radio today is not intended to elevate community consciousness. For example, In Chicago where I live part-time, murders among young people have escalated tremendously. No one in syndication can address that local issue. I remember back in the day when "Real Black Radio" existed WVON had Operation Crime Stop, segments designed to help stop crime. Where is that today when it is needed? Oh yeah, Radio is caught up in humor, celebrity gossip and who's making love to who or what. Radio as a social agent has been axed from the Black Community, unless it is something like the Jena 6. We barely hear news headlines. Urban Radio today is focused towards greed instead of community need.

The Prime Minister.