Clear Channel Layoffs and Why Radio Sucks (Video)

Much of the demise of the music business can be blamed on the Internet and iPods, but the truth is that as the outlets and gateways for music became more and more business, MTV stopped playing music videos and radio stations stopped taking requests. Labels have been paying for radio airplay for decades and spending lots and lots of money on trips and spiffs. Now that the labels are broke, are you surprised to see corporate radio is tanking as well?

The radio industry has been suffering declines in ad spending as listeners migrate to MP3s and non-terrestrial radio (XM/Sirius or Internet). As long as the music outlets are directly funded by the major labels, radio will be reduced to an audio billboard and will disappear.

Here's a cool video about why the Mainstream Music Industry sucks from people that have been in it for a while (and even profited from it at some point):

Listen to Dick Dale. He knows what he's talking about. I run a label and I agree with his advice. But my label doesn't own our band's music. :)

Enjoy. Share.

Ivan

Ivan writes "Bombardier Manifesto" for Creative Loafing, blog posts about the music industry, being in a band and marketing. Ivan also runs Mohawk Bomb Records.