My Reply to a post by Losiel Jones about not getting support for his music on Local Radio Stations!

Since I am the Program Director for 92Q and my station was mentioned in this post, and since I personally know Losiel, I felt compelled to reply on this comment.

Here It Goes:

1st, each station has a criteria by which it is bound.  Every job, including the one each of you are working at now has a "Product Standard".  You live and die by it.  92Q does as well.  Being born in Nashville or going to TN State does not give you an "automatic pass" to getting your song into rotation.  The song has to go through the paces that every artist goes through for the coveted spot of rotation on ANY radio brand.  Additionally, there are plenty of Major Artist that have not made it into rotation as well (many with Platinum Projects and Grammys).  So being "Artist A,B, or C" does not give you an automatic pass either.  The SONG itself is the only criteria.

I refute the notion that 92Q does not play local music.  I have played Lo Carter, Descendants of Reality, Casme Barnes, Darnell Levine, and a host of other local talent on 92Q. We have a place where we incubate those songs with our Neo Soul Sunday Show. This gives the artists a spring board to continue growing their craft and adding OTHER STATIONS to their portfolio by now being able to say that "92Q plays my music" as well.

It is NOT the radio station's job to "BLOW YOU UP".  That is your RECORD COMPANY'S job!  Our job is to build a listening audience...then sell that to advertisers.  The relationship happens when you give me a song that helps me build an audience.  And my job is to find those songs and play them.  So now..what can you do to get your song to that level?  Do shows.  Post youtubes.  Increase your fan-base.  Grow your Facebook and Twitter.  Send out free downloads.  Come to the PD with Data!  Remember the old saying:  People LIE, Numbers Don't!  One of my first rules is don't even go to a radio station until you have more friends and followers than the person/people you're asking to play your song.  I see artists in ATL with 50,000 Facebook Fans and ZERO airplay.  They have over 100,000 Song downloads with ZERO airplay.  They are out there hustling at skate rinks, getting "rotation" in clubs, putting on free concerts.  You have to do the work.  I tell artists all the time...SCREW radio.  You don't need us!  We need YOU!  And now with the internet, you can get to the listeners too! 

If anyone wants to comment to me OR confer with me on an extensive level on this topic hit me on my blog at www.kennyonline.net

NOTE:  I can't speak for the other station mentioned because I don't run that station...:)