Posted date: August 2006

FM radio’s limited playlist hasn’t given dance music its fair share of exposure.

If video killed the radio star, radio got pissed and killed dance music. There’s no question radio has been an unfriendly medium to the genre. When Detroit techno took over the Motor City in the ‘70s, it was hailed as the future of music: some future. Dance music has its cult following, but we hardly see it burning up the charts. Other than providing backdrop beats to pop songs for artists like Usher, Madonna, Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani, the dance genre struggles to find a home in most FM radio stations.

FM radio’s limited playlist hasn’t given dance music its fair share of exposure. It might appear the record company that can pay Clear Channel the most gets its artists on the radio, but is that really the case? It is not to say that dance music artists have not broken into Top 40’s territory, but really—how many times can someone listen to [Darude] “Sandstorm?”

Efren Sifuentes, a music programmer at WNEW, Mix 102.7 FM in New York City, cites the advent of Callout Research and Billboard magazine’s Broadcast Data Systems as a reason dance music has been pushed aside, as advances in market research monitors terrestrial spins. “I think that stuff can be played, but a lot of programmers nowadays—I’m talking about program directors—everyone’s really into research. It’s an emotional medium and [BDS, Callout] make the numbers game,” he explains.

Billboard magazine tracks radio spins using Broadcast Data Systems, where monitors signal samples in different cities. “At the end of the week, [these monitors will] give you ‘Usher: 7-8 spins on KTU.’ They tally it all,” Sifuentes remarks. “That’s the way Billboard does their charts. Now it’s more accurate because whatever you play will get clocked on Billboard. That’s just on the radio side of spins. Club DJs still submit their reaction sheets.”

Efren cites these advanced standards as the means to which a lot of stations determine their “Powers.” For example, with a Top 40 station, a power rotation would be every hour and a half, two hours for big, popular songs. “Everything is very scientific now,” Sifuentes points out. “That’s more of the problem—a lot of people don’t use their gut as much as far as trying to get new music on or what could be big. That’s what people did back in the day.”

For a time it seemed like dance music found an answer to terrestrial radio: start a station devoted exclusively to the genre. However with the increase in competition for listeners and advertising dollars [and with those way more scientific means to track your turns on the radio dial—ed.] trance, electronica, jungle, house, et al has failed to secure a foothold on the radio.

Some of dance music stations have fallen victim to all-mighty buck. One of its victims, Miami’s WPYM-FM Party 93.1, turned into a rock station after Clear Channel decided Miami’s sole rock station WZTA-FM Zeta 94.9 was not performing to their liking and created the concept of the “hurban” station (yes, Hispanic urban). Cox Radio, Party’s owners, knew that it would make more money as Miami’s new sole rock station than as the gym-popular mainstream dance medium.

This reshuffling of stations did not only affect Miami. It was the white noise heard around the nation—from New York to Los Angeles—and dance music bore the brunt of it. But did Party 93 fail because there is no place for dance music on the radio, or because its playlist was limited to the same 40-songs? Efren Sifuentes, who has worked at NYC dance music albatross WKTU before, claims that the majority of dance stations that have come and gone have had “really polarized singles,” which means some of these dance cuts just weren’t cut out for mainstream consumption.

Other DJs see the viability of dance music, but in proper doses. “I don’t think Party’s demise had anything to do with dance music not being popular,” says host and executive producer of WHYI-FM’s South Beach Dance Party Marky G. “Their playlist was narrow. They played popular dance which was smart, and in every genre of music there is a certain type of music that succeeds.”

WHYI, which normally plays Britney Spears, Mariah Carey and Kelly Clarkson, has given Marky G. three hours every Sunday to showcase the week’s most popular club anthems. “The show is being hugely accepted because we offer diversity and great music—everything from trance to club anthems—and we countdown the top 10 most popular songs,” he explains.

Unfortunately, because of Dance Party’s limited airtime, the show can only play the hits, leaving unsigned and upcoming acts on the wayside. Despite the genre’s limited repertoire on terrestrial radio, Marky G. believes it has its place on the medium for a broad range of people who listen to it, who aren’t inclined to go out to the clubs.

However, terrestrial radio seems outdated for a genre whose punch comes from being forward thinking; FM is no longer the only option for mass dissemination. There is peer-to-peer, podcasting and digital downloads, as well as internet and satellite radio [Robert Carreras gives us the scoop on peer-to-peer and podcasting through his thoughtful essay—ed.].

To The Stars!

For those frustrated at terrestrial’s limited play list, irritating DJs and never-ending commercials, there is satellite radio—for a fee, of course. Choice comes down to selecting which provider you wish to subscribe to: XM Radio or Sirius. Because the programming is funded through subscriptions, not advertising dollars, satellite seems to be a sustainable medium for the genre.

“I think satellite radio is a very friendly place for dance music,” says Luis Baro, program director for XM’s The Move. “XM thrives on music neglected by FM radio.” Satellite radio providers support the genre so much that XM broadcasted live from Ultra Music Festival 8 from three stages on three different channels.”

Baro is no stranger to the dance music genre; he has been involved with it for 16 years through promotion, talent buying and marketing. As the XM program director, he has the freedom to introduce unsigned and upcoming artists, producers and DJs. “If it’s signed or not is not an issue; if it’s good, I am playing it.” He explains XM’s main focus is to provide an outlet for club culture, representing it in its truest form. They want their listeners to be part of something they do not necessarily know about.

Geronimo, program director at XM’s competitor Sirius, suggests that satellite has filled the dance music void in places such as Austin, Los Angeles and most recently Miami. His background is impressive, working at several successful New York radio stations and helping jump start Republic Records in 1995 (who developed groups such as the Bloodhound Gang and Chumbawamba).

“In Europe, dance music is more of a lifestyle, while hip-hop is underground. It’s visa-versa in the United States,” Geronimo explains. “The most successful artists are producers who lay down tracks and add anonymous vocals.” Geronimo mentions Madonna and Gwen Stefani as artists who use dance music as a foundation, but have been able to parlay their careers beyond the usual anonymity of the genre. “At a recent Billboard conference, I’ve been outspoken that dance music in the U.S. needs to have artists with a face and back story.”

Even though audiences respond to the biggest stars in the genre, Geronimo says Sirius is a supporter of unknowns in the genre. “We get a lot of unsigned artists. We are very particular about what we play.” Sirius leaves it up to him and the programmers to choose what they play on the four dance/ electronica channels: Boombox, The Beat, Area 33 and The Chill.

So far, satellite has been welcoming to the dance genre. Time will tell if dance music has found a sustainable medium. Still, two providers can only have so many artists on their playlists and have to be selective as to what they air. [Could the days of satellite Callout response and Broadcast Data Systems be far behind? —ed.].

By J. Daniel Duran
Additional Reporting by Dennis Sebayan

http://www.c895worldwide.com/web
http://www.kcrw.com
www.xmradio.com
www.sirius.com