Communist
11th February 2010, 21:16
.
.DISAPPEARING VOICES: THE DECLINE OF BLACK RADIO By: Steve V. Rodriguez (http://progressivepulse.com/blog/?p=233)
Everything happens for a reason and this couldn’t have been more apparent than the other day when my friend
couldn’t make a screening of a new documentary, DISAPPEARING VOICES: THE DECLINE OF BLACK RADIO
and passed the invitation on to me. Like the title suggests the film is about the demise of a once popular radio
format that was owned, operated and primarily served a Black audience. I attended and graduated from U.C.
Berkeley where I majored in Mass Communications specifically, Race Relations within the media. During that
time and shortly after I received the first ever paid internship at KBLX Radio Station in San Francisco, which
happens to be a Black owned station with an African American Program Director, Kevin Brown. Seeing this
film not only tested and invigorated my past but, seemed to fall into my lap as a passionate sign to take some
sort of action – my action begins now!
The film is a History Course while simultaneously takes a step back to examine an American media format that rose
in the late 40’s and 50’s, had its hey day in the 60’s and 70’s and ultimately was subtly transformed into a
commercial and mainstream format that today resembles nothing like its inception. Directed by U-Savior
Washington and narrated and written by radio personality,Bob Law, featuring rare interviews with Melvin
Van Peeples, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Chuck D of Public Enemy, just to name a few, the film not only tracks
the history of Black Radio and its impact on a culture but, looks to the future to begin to find solutions.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2070/2503656106_79c3821cd4.jpg?v=0
The film documents that the first Black-Owned Radio station was WERD in Atlanta in 1949 and featured Radio
Personality Jack Gibson who greeted his audience with the words, “Hello America we’re here!” Radio became
a powerful medium to the Black community because it spoke directly to its audience and featured Black Radio
Jocks who became prominent figures on the airwaves developing their own style and sound. A Radio Jock could
set the tone and mood of the day and directly affect his audience. He was just as important as the music he
played which was often records he chose to spin. The power of Black Radio became a unifying force within
communities across the country. Radio Jock, Frankie Crocker, was nicknamed Frankie “Hollywood” Crocker for
his showmanship. He was one of the first VH-1 V.J.’s and hosted the popular dance show Solid Gold. He also
appeared as himself in five films including “Cleopatra Jones”.
Other Jocks developed a “rapping persona” that is believed to have been the inception of Rap. The Jocks would
talk over songs adding their own flavor to the tunes often times making them larger than the station they represented.
Black Radio could advertise directly to its local communities featuring local Black Owned businesses and products
for Black people. A record could be played by an artist because it was good and found in local record shops
like Birdell’s Record Store in Brooklyn. Local promoters could take the popularity of a record that was gaining
momentum in a particular city and have the artist headline a nearby venue. Political and social voices could
organize through Radio reaching its targeted Black audiences.
There was a shift in perception in the 60’s when Madison Avenue became savvy that Black Radio had power
over its audience. White Owned Radio Stations that featured Black Jocks became nervous of the power that
Black Jocks had fearing that they were becoming larger than the station and therefore would demand larger
salaries.
‘Black’ became ‘bad’ and there began the notion that some of these personalities were becoming ‘too black’.
The fears and need for business to assert its advertising dollar on Black Radio changed the format to a new
term in the mid-70’s called “Urban Contemporary“. Radio had a new name and with that came larger advertising
dollars like cigarette companies, beer and soft drinks like Coca Cola. Urban Contemporary was fazing out Black
Radio in favor of a colorless society thus creating a societal shift. With these changes the All Black Radio format
was disappearing allowing little or no room for artists like Percy Sledge, James Brown and Isaac Hayes whose
lyrics and style were not welcome on this new format.
The documentary points out that with fewer and fewer Black owned Radio stations and with larger corporations
like Clear Channel dominating the markets there is little room for community concerns within specific markets.
The landscape of Radio has dramatically changed as a voice and outlet for local communities in favor of large
advertising dollars and ‘dumbing down’ by loud morning show hosts. These large corporations have been accused
of advertising to predominately white audiences and if they do advertise to ethnic populations they ask for
“advertising discounts”.
Additionally, with the advent of Arbitron, (Radio Ratings Research) in the 60’s, the importance of rank determines
the amount of Advertising radio will acquire and ultimately who survives or is forced to turn off its switch.
At a post screening of “DISAPPEARING VOICES”, held at the MAMA (http://www.mamafoundation.org/) FOUNDATION (http://www.mamafoundation.org/) for the Arts in Harlem,
Bob Law led an informative Q&A discussion that was passionate, informative and offered solutions by those in
attendance. This included a warning of the total decline of any form of Black Radio by Arbitron which is not an
officially governed licensing institution yet seems to hold an overriding power over who survives or not.
Both U-Savior and Mr. Law informed us that their main reason for making this film was to “clear the air and
misconceptions” regarding the rise and fall of Black Radio and how “…many in the Black Entertainment Industry
never really understood the political and economic reality that shaped their community”. (Producers Iyanna Jones
and Shawna Glover with Laws and Washington)
I encourage you to look out for this informative and timely documentary, “DISAPPEARING VOICES” in festivals
around the country as I think the information is vital to be aware of as it continues to shape our society. It’s a
look at Race, Business, Power, Money, Community, Celebrity which are all applicable to any audience.
BE INFORMED!
You can keep informed of the documentary at: www.blackwaxx.com (http://blackwaxx.com/) and check out the trailer for
“DISAPPEARING VOICES” by clicking pic below:
http://www.leftbooks.com/store/media/dissappearing-text.jpg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7bbHV89RWQ)
.DISAPPEARING VOICES: THE DECLINE OF BLACK RADIO By: Steve V. Rodriguez (http://progressivepulse.com/blog/?p=233)
Everything happens for a reason and this couldn’t have been more apparent than the other day when my friend
couldn’t make a screening of a new documentary, DISAPPEARING VOICES: THE DECLINE OF BLACK RADIO
and passed the invitation on to me. Like the title suggests the film is about the demise of a once popular radio
format that was owned, operated and primarily served a Black audience. I attended and graduated from U.C.
Berkeley where I majored in Mass Communications specifically, Race Relations within the media. During that
time and shortly after I received the first ever paid internship at KBLX Radio Station in San Francisco, which
happens to be a Black owned station with an African American Program Director, Kevin Brown. Seeing this
film not only tested and invigorated my past but, seemed to fall into my lap as a passionate sign to take some
sort of action – my action begins now!
The film is a History Course while simultaneously takes a step back to examine an American media format that rose
in the late 40’s and 50’s, had its hey day in the 60’s and 70’s and ultimately was subtly transformed into a
commercial and mainstream format that today resembles nothing like its inception. Directed by U-Savior
Washington and narrated and written by radio personality,Bob Law, featuring rare interviews with Melvin
Van Peeples, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Chuck D of Public Enemy, just to name a few, the film not only tracks
the history of Black Radio and its impact on a culture but, looks to the future to begin to find solutions.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2070/2503656106_79c3821cd4.jpg?v=0
The film documents that the first Black-Owned Radio station was WERD in Atlanta in 1949 and featured Radio
Personality Jack Gibson who greeted his audience with the words, “Hello America we’re here!” Radio became
a powerful medium to the Black community because it spoke directly to its audience and featured Black Radio
Jocks who became prominent figures on the airwaves developing their own style and sound. A Radio Jock could
set the tone and mood of the day and directly affect his audience. He was just as important as the music he
played which was often records he chose to spin. The power of Black Radio became a unifying force within
communities across the country. Radio Jock, Frankie Crocker, was nicknamed Frankie “Hollywood” Crocker for
his showmanship. He was one of the first VH-1 V.J.’s and hosted the popular dance show Solid Gold. He also
appeared as himself in five films including “Cleopatra Jones”.
Other Jocks developed a “rapping persona” that is believed to have been the inception of Rap. The Jocks would
talk over songs adding their own flavor to the tunes often times making them larger than the station they represented.
Black Radio could advertise directly to its local communities featuring local Black Owned businesses and products
for Black people. A record could be played by an artist because it was good and found in local record shops
like Birdell’s Record Store in Brooklyn. Local promoters could take the popularity of a record that was gaining
momentum in a particular city and have the artist headline a nearby venue. Political and social voices could
organize through Radio reaching its targeted Black audiences.
There was a shift in perception in the 60’s when Madison Avenue became savvy that Black Radio had power
over its audience. White Owned Radio Stations that featured Black Jocks became nervous of the power that
Black Jocks had fearing that they were becoming larger than the station and therefore would demand larger
salaries.
‘Black’ became ‘bad’ and there began the notion that some of these personalities were becoming ‘too black’.
The fears and need for business to assert its advertising dollar on Black Radio changed the format to a new
term in the mid-70’s called “Urban Contemporary“. Radio had a new name and with that came larger advertising
dollars like cigarette companies, beer and soft drinks like Coca Cola. Urban Contemporary was fazing out Black
Radio in favor of a colorless society thus creating a societal shift. With these changes the All Black Radio format
was disappearing allowing little or no room for artists like Percy Sledge, James Brown and Isaac Hayes whose
lyrics and style were not welcome on this new format.
The documentary points out that with fewer and fewer Black owned Radio stations and with larger corporations
like Clear Channel dominating the markets there is little room for community concerns within specific markets.
The landscape of Radio has dramatically changed as a voice and outlet for local communities in favor of large
advertising dollars and ‘dumbing down’ by loud morning show hosts. These large corporations have been accused
of advertising to predominately white audiences and if they do advertise to ethnic populations they ask for
“advertising discounts”.
Additionally, with the advent of Arbitron, (Radio Ratings Research) in the 60’s, the importance of rank determines
the amount of Advertising radio will acquire and ultimately who survives or is forced to turn off its switch.
At a post screening of “DISAPPEARING VOICES”, held at the MAMA (http://www.mamafoundation.org/) FOUNDATION (http://www.mamafoundation.org/) for the Arts in Harlem,
Bob Law led an informative Q&A discussion that was passionate, informative and offered solutions by those in
attendance. This included a warning of the total decline of any form of Black Radio by Arbitron which is not an
officially governed licensing institution yet seems to hold an overriding power over who survives or not.
Both U-Savior and Mr. Law informed us that their main reason for making this film was to “clear the air and
misconceptions” regarding the rise and fall of Black Radio and how “…many in the Black Entertainment Industry
never really understood the political and economic reality that shaped their community”. (Producers Iyanna Jones
and Shawna Glover with Laws and Washington)
I encourage you to look out for this informative and timely documentary, “DISAPPEARING VOICES” in festivals
around the country as I think the information is vital to be aware of as it continues to shape our society. It’s a
look at Race, Business, Power, Money, Community, Celebrity which are all applicable to any audience.
BE INFORMED!
You can keep informed of the documentary at: www.blackwaxx.com (http://blackwaxx.com/) and check out the trailer for
“DISAPPEARING VOICES” by clicking pic below:
http://www.leftbooks.com/store/media/dissappearing-text.jpg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7bbHV89RWQ)