Radio Rants
October 31st, 2007, 1:53 pm · 1 Comment · posted by ramonr
Who is in charge of programming at the Valley’s so-called Tejano station? Yesterday, after a nice interview with some of the Home Town Boys, they played a great polka only to go and blow it by following it with a banda song. What the heck? If I want banda I’ll tune to one of the many stations that plays the genre, so quit trying to pass tamborilero music as Tejano! But, hey, I guess it takes some intelligence to know the difference …
October 31st, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Marlissa,
To your question NO ONE IS IN CHARGE!
Why are we not surprised? Because when anyone with greater intellect than a tuna can questions radio-active air heads about the way the run the store they take a defensive position and go tone deaf. Some radio people in corporate situations are a new breed of (neuvo-money chic) allowing corporate chatter to dictate the programming. We the consumers are only numbers of convenience and know nothing about our true cultural likes or dislikes, yea right! They conduct numerous analytical studies, quantitative data (mambo, jumbo) and focus groups (loaded with one sided questions) to justify the NEW scatter gun approach to radio - that is shoot everything on to a wall and see what sticks. Not with standing the 800 pound gorilla approach. Long gone are the days when Program Directors had the spine to focus on any given song or artist and present that material in a subjective manner to an audience (thanks in part to our Payola greedy Brothers in Tejano radio). Today, one or two people really dictate what we the people value and with no one to answer to- we are toast. There is a certain discrimination taking place as well, because any one older than 35 years old is beyond content opinion, but yet they hold enough value for their purchasing power. The intuitive (the strong believe) power a Programmer once stood for and fought hard for… is a thing of the past. Few are willing to take a sacrifice anything or stand on their belief.
How can a Programmer play Duelo, Intocable, Pesado etc., when they themselves (the bands) from time to time (of convenience) deny their loyalty to the Tejano music genre. They live and prosper from the Tejano roots but swear that Mexico is the land of enchantment. Nothing against Mexico our motherland, but then again there is nothing wrong with Texas our homestead - either. Stay Tejano Pure!
With 51 acts currently posted as nominees in the Tejano Grammy category, why do we continue to hear only a handful of Tejano artists (the anointed ones) being programed on Tejano radio three times an hour? Yes, not every group or artist is on equal terms, but there are some worthy souls waiting for an intelligent PD to begin questioning the balance of new and old Tejano songs to be filtered through to this prideful audience. YA BASTA con those over paid consultants (over and under the table) and start listening to the Tejano audience, to the people in the trenches, on-line chatters to what matters most - Tejano music. Simple, give all Tejanos a chance and stop trying to justify the fact that Tejano music not flavor of the month - it’s more valuable as an original American art form - take pride in that.
VIVE Tejano
VIVE Tejano