From Behind the Mic
By John Szpara
Until Exposure is on the air, this column will be commenting on our efforts to get our show on
AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) stations around the country. Some of you may know radio from the
inside, some may know nothing more about radio than how to find the On-Off button. Most prog
fans probably just reach for the off button. I will therefore try to make this interesting to as many
of you as possible. I will be giving a behind-the-scenes look at how radio works, at least from the
perspective of someone trying to break in from the outside. With a prog show as the product,
we’re talking WAY outside. An uphill battle, you say? That much is certain. Why am I doing it? I
am a prog fan, just like you. If successful, it will be worth all the effort. The bands and fans
deserve it. You (and I) are some of the longest-suffering people in music.
It may be obvious to you, but here is the bottom line on radio: if you sell advertising time, you
make money. If you don’t, you’re out of the radio business. Like any other business in a
capitalistic society, you live or die by supply and demand. Radio stations play music. It costs
money. So, they look for advertisers. The people who buy the ads have businesses, and want to
make money themselves. Some turn to radio. They want to know if anyone is listening. In order
for the station to sell the airtime, they need as many listeners as possible. They play music that
the widest cross-section of listeners will tune in for. It works the same way in television. Now, I
don’t mean to insult your intelligence; I doubt any of you didn’t already know everything I just
told you. I also do not want to sound like an apologist for the narrow-visioned radio industry.
However, I bring it up for a reason - the next time you turn on the radio and say “why do they
PLAY that CRAP?!?”, look at it from the station’s perspective. The more people that are
listening, the more money they make. Money makes the world go round, right? Well, like it or
lump it, that’s the way it is.
I must admit I understand WHY things are the way they are. I neither like it nor support it. I
simply realize the importance of knowing and coming to grips with how the system works,
because I have to work with the system. It’s also important that you, the prog fan, know it too.
We have a passion for a type of music that doesn’t appeal to the masses. Therefore, it gets no
airplay. So prog fans meet, swap tapes, read reviews and hope to heck that the new CD they
paid $30 for and waited 6-8 weeks to get doesn’t turn out to be crap. Yes, we’re surviving, but it
could be better. Enter radio.
I hope to get Exposure on the air for several reasons. First, I am undeniably a fan of this music. I
have my personal favorites, such as Ozric, Anglagard, Eloy, Floyd, Finch, FM, and so forth.
Second, I love sharing this music with others. I don’t know how many times I’ve sat a friend or
family member down and said, “HEY, check THIS out!” Sometimes they like it. Sometimes they
don’t. Sometimes they give you a blank stare. (Many thanks to my ever-patient wife!). Sound
familiar? Good. Now you’re in my shoes.
Trying to get prog on the radio is a lot like cramming a square peg in a round hole. With
thorough research, preparation and hard work, and the support of prog fans, we might just make
that unwieldy peg fit. It’ll take a lot of elbow grease on my part and lots of support from the prog
fans. The show will neither get on the air, nor stay there, if it has to rest on the regular radio
audience. We hope to pick up some new listeners; it would be very satisfying to know that we
introduced a whole new flock of people to prog. But, the burden will rest on the shoulders of the
die-hard fans.
It may seem to be a pipe dream to try to get a prog show on the air, that prog has too many
strikes against it, too many weaknesses to appeal to a mainstream station. I learned something
some years ago; weaknesses can be turned into strengths. Prog is different - so sell it as
something different. It only appeals to a narrow audience - find out who that audience is, rally
them to the cause, and you can start with an informed, regular listenership. Who’s gonna
advertise on a show like this? People who have an interest in the same things that the fans do.
Prog fans buy lots of albums/CDs - get with the record stores, mail order houses, rare record
dealers. A lot of musicians listen to stations and say, “Hey, look, I’ve pre-sold 6 months of
advertising for you...I’ve got 2000 fans in Metro Podunk who know about this, and say they’ll
tune in. See...here’ the list...” That’s about what it’ll take. That’s where I need your help.
So far, as of June 12th, out of the 600 or so response cards I handed out at Progfest, I’ve seen
about a dozen come back. On Internet, out of the 500 estimated readers of (the electronic
bulletin board) alt.music.progressive, another dozen or so replied. I appreciate those who wrote
in, but these numbers are hardly convincing. Add all that to the dismal turnout at Progfest, and
it’s obvious my work is cut out for me. I do know that the prog fans are out there, but we need to
reach them and we will literally need everyone to respond.
I’d like to walk into the stations with a nice, long list of people who are the built-in, core
listenership. The more names, the better. If you’re receiving this newsletter, you may have already
written. If not, drop me a line. If you know anyone else that is into prog, get them to write to us.
The more numbers the better. Numbers are about the only way the stations will take notice.
Oh, one more thing...wish me luck!