(By John Shomby) My radio, music, and artist brethren. After watching the CMA Awards this week, I realize there is an issue we all must face. For those of us in country radio, I believe we received a message that our “seat at the table” is moving and it’s not closer to the front.
For years, we, in country radio, have gotten accustomed to being thanked by every award winner on every show. At the awards, lots of thanks for some entity called “country music” but no mention of radio (In this writer’s opinion, it sounded as if artists were coached to say that).
In years past, the CMA Broadcast award winners would get a quick recognition moment, but there was none last night. Country radio was totally absent from the broadcast. What does this all mean for country radio? Is there a disconnect developing between country music and country radio? Would we admit it if there was?
Let me preface this all by saying I LOVE RADIO and , of course, country radio. Always have. Always will. I have been a part of this business for a lot longer than some of you have been on this earth and nothing fires me up more than hearing a talented personality connecting with his/her audience or a well-produced creative promo or some clever on-air imaging. I love hearing GOOD radio.
That being said, COUNTRY radio does have a growing problem and, I believe, the CMA sent us a clear message about that. It’s time for us to really get down to brass tacks and tell the industry who we really are. We are a format who prides itself in differentiation from other formats and the relationship it has with the country music industry.
That relationship is changing and we ALL have to recognize that – not just radio but the labels, the artists and their management and the DSP’s. I may get a lot of push back on this but country radio’s position in the “race” to become a hit has changed and I will say that the importance of country radio in the hitmaking process is more crucial than ever.
Think of the life of a country song as a relay race. As a song starts it growth these days, it starts in the DSP arena – Spotify, Apple, Pandora, etc. The relay “baton” gets passed off from one to another in the first legs of the “race” to be a hit. NOW, think of country radio as the “anchor” leg in that race. The last “baton” pass so to speak. Country radio takes it to the finish line. Without Country Radio there is no hit. Plain and simple.
I know there are lots of heads nodding about that last statement but what about the process? Is country radio still in the business of exposing new artists? I’d say that philosophy may be “outwardly” still viable but “inwardly”, it is not. We do our best to expose new artists but the programming “real estate” is getting smaller and smaller. To succeed in country radio (or any music radio format these days), you still have to play the biggest hits as often as possible. Country radio may not be the one breaking hits these days but it definitely is the one MAKING the hits.
So, can we at country radio come to terms to who we really have become? We shouldn’t be embarrassed about it nor should we sweep it under the table. I believe if all the parties involved actually talked about it openly, we could all accept this specific role for country radio and we might be able to share some excellent success stories in the future. I’ll be the first at the table, who’s next?
Based in Nashville John Shomby has served on the Country Radio Broadcasters’ Board of Directors since 2005, and as the sitting Vice President since 2019. He programmed radio stations for over 40 years. John can be reached at [email protected]
