Earlier today I got a tip from a co-worker of mine to tune in to Nashville Country radio station WSIX.
The station devoted the day to raising funds for the victims of this past weekend's tornadoes that devastated some areas around middle Tennessee.
At first I thought, "Great. Another fundraiser built to hide another agenda." But after listening to the station's broadcast periodically throughout the day, my mind was changed.
The station called it "Pay For Play". Make a donation and you earn the right to pick a song to be played. Not a new concept. But what made it fun was the fact ANY song could be requested.
In the span of 15 minutes I heard Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", Clay Aiken's "Sollitare" and "Donka-Shein". And this is a Country station!
Sure, the station knew it would get good press for doing this. But the way they pulled it off was the key. No attitude. No grandstanding. Just people calling or e-mailing with their bizarre requests.
The guys from Rascal Flatts called in and pledged a thousand bucks for each song played from their new album. The station oblidged and proceeded to play their entire CD.
It was electric. You never knew what you would hear. You never knew who would call in. But you knew, that with each call or e-mail request, money was being raised for a common goal- relief for people who lost everything.
I love radio. It's what got me into this business. Let me back up. I love everything about the roots of radio - playing music the listeners want to hear.
It's a blessing and a shame that a tragedy brought to light one of the best parts of radio. A part that has been lost for long time.

I grew up as a kid calling into radio stations believing that my request meant something. I sat on the phone for hours dialing my local station in Oklahoma, hoping to get my chance to request my favorite song. When I got through to a real person, it was like talking to the President. I was nervous. My voice shook. This was my chance to speak up about the music I loved. When I hung up, I waited. And waited. And waited. When my song was finally played, I cranked it up and stood proudly, thinking "I did that!"
Little did I know at the time that the song was already lined up to be played in the normal "rotation" of music on the station.
When I was 13, my first job was answering request lines at KELI in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I quickly learned the reality of radio. It was a sobering reality. I was the one playing "President". I carefully logged every request and handed my list to the DJ. It took a few months for me to realize that these requests meant virtually nothing. The lists got entered into a data-base and were sent off to record label promotion personnel, sales staff or wherever for "analysis". But as for the immediate gratification of getting requests heard when a listener requested them? That was the sobering part.
Yes, there are 'portions' of shows on the radio that still respond to direct requests. Around here they're called "Request Lunch Blocks" - One or two hours devoted to actual requests. Still, how many of those songs have already been "lined up" for airplay? The requests that get through just happen to be the songs already scheduled.
To you radio folks out there - sorry. It's a business. I get that. But wouldn't it be cool to REALLY let the listeners decide the music that gets played?
Loretta Lynn used to get in her car and drive to radio stations and hand-deliver her new song to stations. The stations would play it and get audience response on whether they should keep playing it.
OK. "Make it or Break it", right? Yep, that does still exist on some stations. Usually in a morning drive or evening shift. Two songs go head-to-head for the chance of "survival". KDF here in town calls it "The Rumble on Rutledge Hill". I'm sure you have your own variations in your town.
These token gestures to listener participation do nothing for the greatest ideal of music based radio.
LET THE LISTENERS DECIDE THE MUSIC!
When will a major market station go back to the core of what makes radio cool? I don't know if they can. Commerical sponsors drive radio. Proctor & Gamble holds Country radio hostage. They own the bulk of radio commercial time these days. If P&G wants a certain message out there, they dictate what music gets played. If a drinking song or a controversial song is up for "adds" on a station, the station has to listen to its sponsors. If the sponsor's don't like the music, it doesn't get played. Period.
I use P&G as an example. I'm not pointing any fingers at a particular company. My point is that the control of the music heard on the radio is in the wrong hands.
Yep, I'm an idealist. It's ONE of my most brutal faults. Brutal in the fact that my idealistic heart gets broken alot. Especially in the entertainment business.
I'm a fan of music. I love to watch new artists blossom and succeed. I love to hear music that I know my fellow radio listeners want to hear.
Instead, radio has reversed the one element it was built on, LET THE LISTENER DECIDE THE MUSIC.
Listeners are "force-fed" music. We're told what to listen to. Is it sponsors? Is it the record companies?
Probably both. Again, it's business. And again, I realize that. But at some point, radio must be returned to the people that make, or rather, could make it successful...the LISTENER.
JACK-FM stations have popped up around the country. They claim to play whatever they want to play.
It's a neat concept. Alot of different kinds of music gets played on those stations. They play alot of songs I really like. But still, it's music we're "forced" to listen to. Listeners are told pretty blatantly that they have no say in JACK playlists. The concept is based on sponsors and their need to reach a particular audience based on the music the stations play.
Listeners are thrown the "bone" of participation by getting the chance for their phoned-in compliments of the station to be played on-air. The calls get received by an answering machine and are culled out based on the importance of the station's agenda - to please the sponsors.
Sponsors are needed. They support the radio industry. But shouldn't sponsors LISTEN to the people who are LISTENING to their ads?

My ideal radio station? An entire station devoted to doing what WSIX did all day today - Listeners picking what they want to hear. I tuned in today and had a blast. Not to mention, it raised a bunch of money for people who really need it.

My advice to radio stations wanting to break the format wide-open? Open it up for an entire playlist built on "make it or break it". If the song doesn't get requested, don't play it. If it gets requested, play it. It's that simple. Forget sponsors. Forget pressure from record labels. Put the power back into your listener. The sponsors and record companies will follow.

Listeners want to feel like their a part of the radio they listen to. I did. And I still do.

Congrats to WSIX for getting me excited about radio again. Great concept for a great cause. Imagine the potential if a station did this on a daily basis.

Storme