CD sales or radio?

I’ll argue that radio started to fall first, and therefore CD sales are tanking even more than they would in a healthy exhibition environment.

In case you’re out of the loop, CD sales are in FREE FALL!  Oh, the majors don’t want to broadcast the story, because they don’t know what to DO about it.  They’ve tried suing traders, hyping the iTunes Store, nothing seems to make up for lost business.  And they’re fearful if Wall Street gets wind, they’re really up shit’s creek.  Warner and EMI stock will drop through the floor.  But, ironically, the business is run by Universal, which isn’t directly beholden to shareholders, being part of the Vivendi behemoth.  So, Doug and Zach will move last, for they’re under the least pressure.  Ain’t THAT fucked up.

There is good music out there.  But how do you find it?

And despite the long tail, most people are interested in hits.  Even if that hit is a ten minute track on a rock station.  Yes, people want songs that not only affect them emotionally, but that OTHER people are listening to.  People want to be a member of the group.  Otherwise they tune out.

Just like I’ve tuned out the Oscars.

Who GOES to the movies?  Certainly not me.  There are too many, and those that are hyped are rarely good.  I’ve gotten out of the habit.  And, talking to musicians, who LIVE at the movies, they’ve stopped going too.  Movies are for oldsters who came of age before the advent of television and teens who want to neck outside the prying eyes of their parents.  The rest of us?  We’re DONE!  The L.A. "Times" has a special Oscar section?  I never crack it.  They might as well have a special section on CRICKET!

But nobody’s freaking out, because SOMEBODY’S still going.  The cancer is not being investigated.  Not so different in music.  Since we’re selling SOME CDs, let’s not contemplate the future, the NEAR future!

CDs can no longer sell even 70,000 copies a week.

Let me put that in perspective…  In a country of 300 million, that’s less than .03%!!  Even MTV, with its historically low ratings, would have to shut down if that few people were watching.  Sure, somebody is interested, but not MANY!

And sure, Daughtry, the "Idol" exile, is number two on this week’s Hits chart, with 65,092 sales.  But that’s only because he has a HIT single!  In other words, WITH a hit nobody gives a shit!

But let’s merge satellite radio companies.  Oh, that’ll be good.  FOR WALL STREET!

It’s not like there are twenty five satellite outlets.  But to placate the men with money we’re going to allow the two to merge, just like we allowed Clear Channel to buy all those terrestrial stations, the public be DAMNED!

No one gives a shit about the public.  Not the FCC, not the RIAA, not Wall Street.  Hell, do you think those hedge fund managers in their exclusive enclaves even want to come in CONTACT with the public?

You can’t fuck with the means of distribution.  The reason the satellite companies are in dire straits is because they overspent competing with EACH OTHER!  That’s the PUBLIC’S fault?  That they mismanaged their assets?  We should change the FCC rules to benefit them?  Why don’t they get their businesses in order and fight for our ears!

Someone’s got to fight for our ears.  It’s certainly not Top Forty radio.  That’s a land of commercials, peppered with URBAN and POP music.  And last time I checked, rap sales were off twenty percent.

Fuck MySpace and its zillion bands and its shitty software.  That’s not the future.  The future is mainstream.

But there’s nothing IN the mainstream anymore.  And the mainstream is controlled by these cunts only worried about their pocketbooks.

It’s confusing.

We need real radio, that people can LISTEN to.

We not only need files without DRM, we need to be able to buy a bucket of them for a MUCH cheaper price.

If you don’t know the above, then you’re living in the past.  You’re Nero fiddling, you’re Marie Antoinette.

Then again, we’ve got a President who wants to send more troops into Iraq.

Where the fuck is leadership?