Post by billtetzeli on Jul 5, 2010 0:40:43 GMT -5
At the Thursday meeting Burr said it was "an assumptive jump" to think that record companies would be able to influence programming on the grounds that "they never tell you what to play." Maybe, and I'm sure that there are numerous corporations that donate to politicians without being specific about what they want. They don't have to. The recipients of their largesse are smart enough to figure it out.
Unlike me. I often stand out in the rain hours after everyone else has gone inside. But for anyone about as thick as I am, here's how it probably works:
Main rationale for rotation is goodies from record companies that can be used to woo listeners and boost Arbitron stats through giveaways and the like. That's the mess of pottage we're supposed to sell our birthright for. My guess is Burr keeps an eye on which artists are coming into town. He sees that in a month or so Bob Dylan is coming into town to play JPJ the same week the Waybacks are coming to play The Southern. So, does he put a bunch of Compass Records CDs on rotation in hopes of getting some Waybacks tix to give away, or does he put a bunch of Sony CDs on the playlist so we can have Dylan tickets to give away? Which record company has the bigger grab bag to dole out from and the more popular artists, who are going to attract more callers? Hint - it ain't Compass.
So yes, contrary to Burr's assertions, that is influence, and I was a fool to believe otherwise even for a minute. As Thomas Pynchon would have said, I'm a slow learner. But I do learn.
Unlike me. I often stand out in the rain hours after everyone else has gone inside. But for anyone about as thick as I am, here's how it probably works:
Main rationale for rotation is goodies from record companies that can be used to woo listeners and boost Arbitron stats through giveaways and the like. That's the mess of pottage we're supposed to sell our birthright for. My guess is Burr keeps an eye on which artists are coming into town. He sees that in a month or so Bob Dylan is coming into town to play JPJ the same week the Waybacks are coming to play The Southern. So, does he put a bunch of Compass Records CDs on rotation in hopes of getting some Waybacks tix to give away, or does he put a bunch of Sony CDs on the playlist so we can have Dylan tickets to give away? Which record company has the bigger grab bag to dole out from and the more popular artists, who are going to attract more callers? Hint - it ain't Compass.
So yes, contrary to Burr's assertions, that is influence, and I was a fool to believe otherwise even for a minute. As Thomas Pynchon would have said, I'm a slow learner. But I do learn.