Got this email this week from a radio person.
Kevin…
My message is to you and other web sites who don’t let people say what they really feel because you require name and other information so you can tell their PD that they are speaking their minds on your message board. Us urban radio people are very powerless, cant do what we want to do, have to accept comics, actors and R&B and hip hop stars down on their luck taking our gigs and now your web site tries to market hard for us to speak our minds.
Spinderella is not relevant now and can’t really a help a radio station more than a seasoned jock. Lenny Green is pushed on the this site continually and he’s just an average jock and I can on and on. Stop all the requirements to leave a message and you might get some interesting subjects that could really help this business that needs help now more than ever.
After reading this comment sent to me the other night I have to admit it bothered me. First because I feel this person’s angst and I know of at least one industry blog publisher who would indeed be that unscrupulous that he would reveal who is writing negative sh… about someone if he thought he could get some business out of it. For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you know I have been a hardcore advocate of true radio people working on the air. Let me include also that I would never reveal a source for any reason. I never have and I never will.
I talked to a PD once about the whole syndication situation and he told me “Kevin, it is what it is, there is nothing that can be done and syndication not only saves the urban stations money they help them make money.” It’s also like industry racism. You can point it out but why? We all know it exists and the person that points it out is often looked at as the “bad guy.” We can all play the same music but we may not have anything in common as people. Another way to look at it is, country people don’t often hang out with rhythmic people either. I never wanted to be one of those older industry people that always talked about the way things were or how they should be. I think when we stop creating, dreaming and thinking about our OWN future, we are doomed to living in the past or not living at all. It disturbs me that this person and many others relegate their power to others, no matter who. No doubt in urban we do have to work three times as hard. It’s just the way it is… but we do need to embrace change whether we like it or not OR we need to create our own opportunities (I believe in the latter) .
Urban radio people are NOT “powerless” unless they choose to be. I know the opportunities for black radio people are very limited and we have a lot to contend with but you can complain and get old or be a revolutionary and create a situation where you can retire comfortably. All is not lost. I will always tell urban radio people if you wait for someone to provide an opportunity for you, you will get old and bitter. Create your own damn opportunities for we are not young forever. While this may not be the best person to reference in this situation, I really have to give a lot of credit to Steve Harvey He is a self made man who constantly creates his own opportunities.
Lenny Green is pushed on this site a lot because he has people send me his pictures. MOST urban jocks don’t do that. I don’t know if it’s fear of the PD finding out and firing them (which would be SO fooking pu..y) or because we just don’t do it. Bottom line, I don’t care who or what you are… if you work in the industry and you send me your industry related info, I will post. I can readily say, I’m the ONLY publisher in this game with balls to post sh… that others won’t touch. I think Lenny’s a pretty good jock and I think he works hard to take his career to the next level. To me, that’s commendable. As far as Spin, I have not heard the show but I know that she’s been doing it for a while. Like the old saying goes, if you can’t beat em, join em. Did any of us really think we could retire doing urban radio? I don’t know ANYONE who has (with comfort) While difficult and challenging NOTHING is impossible.
I have removed the block on messages and I had no idea it was on there. I was not keeping track of comments. You can be free to post whatever you want. All I ask make your point without being vicious. You can remain anonymous.
Kevin
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Kevin…it’s very simple..you get in where you fit in..i’m doin XM during the week voicetracking…on A STATION THAT PLAYS CHUCK BERRY and ELVIS ..and on WBLS weekends and swing playing MARY J…you cant depend on anyone anymore and you’ve got expand your services..i know this is mostly an Urban site but how many of us have considered OTHER FORMATS or GENRES..like CHR they play a majority of OUR music but how many us us are doing CHR???…ERRYBODY cant be Steve or Wendy or Tom etc….it’s amazing to me as a former Morning man..how many GREAT morning show talents ARE NOT WORKING..if they were and went up against syndicated shows,we’d see a better class of broadcasts that we are not seeing currently…right now THE GAME IS IN A HOLDING PATTERN and i dont hear a lot of GREATNESS or the thing that made a lot of us get in the game…PASSION.
You’re a baaad brother Kevin…as in good. Glad you’re there.