CD sales or radio?<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In case you’re out of the loop, CD sales are in FREE FALL!\u00c2\u00a0 Oh, the majors don’t want to broadcast the story, because they don’t know what to DO about it.\u00c2\u00a0 They’ve tried suing traders, hyping the iTunes Store, nothing seems to make up for lost business.\u00c2\u00a0 And they’re fearful if Wall Street gets wind, they’re really up shit’s creek.\u00c2\u00a0 Warner and EMI stock will drop through the floor.\u00c2\u00a0 But, ironically, the business is run by Universal, which isn’t directly beholden to shareholders, being part of the Vivendi behemoth.\u00c2\u00a0 So, Doug and Zach will move last, for they’re under the least pressure.\u00c2\u00a0 Ain’t THAT fucked up.<\/p>\n
There is good music out there.\u00c2\u00a0 But how do you find it?<\/p>\n
And despite the long tail, most people are interested in hits.\u00c2\u00a0 Even if that hit is a ten minute track on a rock station.\u00c2\u00a0 Yes, people want songs that not only affect them emotionally, but that OTHER people are listening to.\u00c2\u00a0 People want to be a member of the group.\u00c2\u00a0 Otherwise they tune out.<\/p>\n
Just like I’ve tuned out the Oscars.<\/p>\n
Who GOES to the movies?\u00c2\u00a0 Certainly not me.\u00c2\u00a0 There are too many, and those that are hyped are rarely good.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve gotten out of the habit.\u00c2\u00a0 And, talking to musicians, who LIVE at the movies, they’ve stopped going too.\u00c2\u00a0 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.\u00c2\u00a0 The rest of us?\u00c2\u00a0 We’re DONE!\u00c2\u00a0 The L.A. "Times" has a special Oscar section?\u00c2\u00a0 I never crack it.\u00c2\u00a0 They might as well have a special section on CRICKET!<\/p>\n
But nobody’s freaking out, because SOMEBODY’S still going.\u00c2\u00a0 The cancer is not being investigated.\u00c2\u00a0 Not so different in music.\u00c2\u00a0 Since we’re selling SOME CDs, let’s not contemplate the future, the NEAR future!<\/p>\n
CDs can no longer sell even 70,000 copies a week.<\/p>\n
Let me put that in perspective…\u00c2\u00a0 In a country of 300 million, that’s less than .03%!!\u00c2\u00a0 Even MTV, with its historically low ratings, would have to shut down if that few people were watching.\u00c2\u00a0 Sure, somebody is interested, but not MANY!<\/p>\n
And sure, Daughtry, the "Idol" exile, is number two on this week’s Hits chart, with 65,092 sales.\u00c2\u00a0 But that’s only because he has a HIT single!\u00c2\u00a0 In other words, WITH a hit nobody gives a shit!<\/p>\n
But let’s merge satellite radio companies.\u00c2\u00a0 Oh, that’ll be good.\u00c2\u00a0 FOR WALL STREET!<\/p>\n
It’s not like there are twenty five satellite outlets.\u00c2\u00a0 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!<\/p>\n
No one gives a shit about the public.\u00c2\u00a0 Not the FCC, not the RIAA, not Wall Street.\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, do you think those hedge fund managers in their exclusive enclaves even want to come in CONTACT with the public?<\/p>\n
You can’t fuck with the means of distribution.\u00c2\u00a0 The reason the satellite companies are in dire straits is because they overspent competing with EACH OTHER!\u00c2\u00a0 That’s the PUBLIC’S fault?\u00c2\u00a0 That they mismanaged their assets?\u00c2\u00a0 We should change the FCC rules to benefit them?\u00c2\u00a0 Why don’t they get their businesses in order and fight for our ears!<\/p>\n
Someone’s got to fight for our ears.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s certainly not Top Forty radio.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s a land of commercials, peppered with URBAN and POP music.\u00c2\u00a0 And last time I checked, rap sales were off twenty percent.<\/p>\n
Fuck MySpace and its zillion bands and its shitty software.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s not the future.\u00c2\u00a0 The future is mainstream.<\/p>\n
But there’s nothing IN the mainstream anymore.\u00c2\u00a0 And the mainstream is controlled by these cunts only worried about their pocketbooks.<\/p>\n
It’s confusing.<\/p>\n
We need real radio, that people can LISTEN to.<\/p>\n
We not only need files without DRM, we need to be able to buy a bucket of them for a MUCH cheaper price.<\/p>\n
If you don’t know the above, then you’re living in the past.\u00c2\u00a0 You’re Nero fiddling, you’re Marie Antoinette.<\/p>\n
Then again, we’ve got a President who wants to send more troops into Iraq.<\/p>\n
Where the fuck is leadership?<\/p>\n
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