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DANCE  FAILS  TO  TAKE  ADVANTAGE  OF  MUSIC  SLUMP

It doesn't take a rocket  scientist to deduct that the music industry is, continues to  be, and  has  been in a slump. For  the  most  part (going  back at least 4+ years) Pop, Hip-Hop and Alternative releases have fallen the most.  Adult Contemporary and Country  have  suffered the least. It  seems  "real"  HITS in  all  genres stand at about 10% while  the other 90% is just also-ran fodder. This  has  provided the perfect "opening" for Dance music to step it up and reclaim some LOST space. Yet, it hasn't happened. Dance seems to be the only genre that continues to evolve, expand boundaries and transform. With other gen- res  as stale as month old  bread. Dance  continues to be a breath of fresh air. IT'S TIME TO BREAK DOWN THAT WALL! But, how  do  we do it? The biggest wall is at radio. Instead of marketing  Dance  product to a handful of "Dance" stations, we need to target  the  mainstream and bombard  REGIONAL  RADIO. That will provide the stepping  stone to  a more  national  audience. 10 stations in California, or 5 in New York plus 5 in Florida can provide  the momentum to break a Dance  record. 7 "Dance" stations  can't even break a stick, but 10 mainstream  ones will make others stand up and take notice. The same old  radio  blue- print isn't working for Dance  music  and it's time to chart  another course.//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

WKTU  IS  THE  MOTHER  OF  ALL  DANCE  STATIONS

New York is the home of legendary  radio  station  WKTU.  It began in 1975 as a regular station and switched to an ALL DISCO  format in the Summer of 1978. Known as "DISCO 92" it was not long  after the switch that it became the #1 station in the city. Many have fond memories of WKTU  during  the  Studio 54 era.  As Disco  declined  at  radio, the station  morphed  again in 1983 and the  plug  was  finally pulled in 1985. It was reborn in 1996 as a Rhythm/Hip-Hop outlet at a different frequency.  That lasted  until 2006 when  they  took  more of a retro direction  and became one of the first  Rhythmic Adult Contempory (or Dance mix) stations. Now, they  play a large  dose  of retro Dance as well as  some current  remixes of the more  rhythmic Hip-Hop artists. Even a few  current  Dance  picks are seasoned  into the mix. WKTU is part of the Clear Channel conglomerate and ratings are  usually  flat at around #10 in the market. It's not easy blending three unique for- mats into one, but WKTU does it. So, once  again  they  have become a "trail blazing pioneer" as others  continue  to take notice, copy and adjust the format to fit their specific areas (Seattle, San Jose, San Francisco, Dallas, Denver, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, etc.).////////

ARTISTS  CAN  BE  TOO  ATTATCHED  TO  A  PROJECT

It's not always  easy to select the better  song on  12" vinyl and CD singles.  Sometimes the B-side (or track #4) is much better  than the "featured" (track #1). Many artists are so involved  and  attached to their  music that they become almost blinded by the finished project. Track #1 was remixed by a world  renown  remixer  for  mega-bucks and took  twice as long to produce as track #4, so it must be better. Not necessarily. Often, track  #4 which was created while doing the laun- dry or sitting in an airport is superior  to  the  favored  track. It may have  fewer  musical  elements and instruments or lyrics than the A-side, but the mix just seems to have a better  flow and feel to it. You can open a door with  either a crowbar (track #1) or a key (track #4). However, you'll  find  greater  satisfaction  in  selecting  one method  over the other.  The remixer may lend you a hand and even let you  borrow his tools (crowbar), but that's no guarantee the finished product will be any better. Dollar  signs  should  never be the  main voice in picking a potential  hit.  Better  results  can  be  had  by following your heart instead of your wallet./////////////////////////

ARBITRON  DELAYS  "PEOPLE  METER"  RADIO  RATINGS

The industry  standard for radio ratings continues to be the Arbitron Company. They send out diaries to selected individuals who keep track of their listening  habits  during  ratings periods. These are mailed back  for interpretation and analysis.  Arbitron  continues to test a new "people meter" system with hopes it will provide  even  more acc- urate market data.  But, initial test  results  were so  dramitically different  from  current  published ones that a switch to it has been delayed.  That makes me wonder just  how  accurate  "other"  national monitors  and charts are?  Is it possible  that a 5% tweek or pull in a certain  direction  or a 10% arbitrary  radio  or sales or download weight  measurement  change can affect a chart? YOU BET.  Whether you paint 5% or 50% of your home, there will be a change. But, you should always  assert  your independence  and  not succumb to peer pressure. Just because sation X has higher ratings than  your favorite station, doesn't mean you should listen to X more often.  Just  because a nat- ional  publication "reports" a song to be #3 nationwide, doesn't mean it can't be #107 in your world. Fly your own plane instead of relying on others to tell you  where and when you  should be flying  and your life will be more enjoyable, satisfying and truly your own.//////////

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