[Dixielandjazz] Grammys - getting their due?

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/15/05 3:39:24 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
rakmccallum at hotmail.com writes:

> 
> I'd completely given up on radio.  I haven't listened to it since WDET 
> (Detroit's local NPR affiliate and by far THE worst public radio station 
> I've ever heard), fired their best DJs a few years back and switched to a 
> predominately "smooth adult contemporary" format.  Even their jazz program 
> (hosted by Ed Love) is awful.  But I got this XM radio for Christmas and was 
> 
> amazed that they have a wide variety of decent programs.  Their jazz station 
> 
> on Friday night prime time is all New Orleans based OKOM (from the 1920's to 
> 
> contemporary OKOM groups).  Imagine Bix getting heavy airplay!  It's true of 
> 
> other styles as well, excellent classical and even alternative rock 
> programming.  Between that and the Internet stations, I listen to the "new 
> radio" all the time.
> 
> I don't mean to sound like a commercial, but it's a good thing, and makes 
> the "music" at the GRAMMYs completely irrelevant On the Internet stations, 
> I've even heard several of our listmates bands getting airplay!
> 
> 

Hi Rob:

Yes, indeed it is a good thing that we now have Internet Radio, it will 
shortly be the equalization of the big Commercial radio Stations that have ignored 
all of us as well as countless other good artists of many genres for far too 
many years.  Not to mention the ability to sell your own product at retail 
prices and get paid for it too,  via organizations like CD Baby.

I just got started promoting my bands music about six months ago seriously, 
and I can now boast happily that we are getting rotation air play on at least 
100 stations that I know of, who have written back and thanked us for sending 
them some music.  Many of them are on the air 24 hours a day seven days a week. 
 And I am just getting started.

In the commercial radio world you can't BUY airplay without Distribution and 
you can't get Distribution without Airplay.  Unless you pay a Radio Promoter 
about $10,000 a month to go around plugging your CDs to the radio stations that 
he has an "IN" with that will accept your "Advertising Dollars" from your 
independent Record Company in exchange for playing your music.

All the commercial stations are formulated, and many of them are even 
automated with all the programming done by some jerk out in the middle of 
whateversville.  Even the Smooth Jazz stations are formulated and you rarely hear any new 
artists on those wretched airwaves either.  Just the same old paying boys 
over and over.  I have gone to live performances of a few of them in the last 
year and they were pathetic at best, it is a good thing that the shows were 
attendance free, because that was even stretching their actual worth.  :))

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins