Ahhh, urban radio

I dedicate this post to what is wrong with WPGC 95.5 in Washington D.C.  If you don't know much about me is that I'm an avid listener of terrestrial radio (even in this day and age of  mostly corporate-owned radio).  Anyways, CBS Radio's former urban flagship is still suffering from the same problems plaguing it back in 2007 when the Portable People Meter (PPM) system was introduced to the Washington, D.C. radio market.  (PPM is a system of Arbitron ratings that records instantaneous measurements of how many, often, and how long people listen to a particular radio station.)

Apparently, there back to the same place they were some 4 years ago in the DC market overall 6+ Arbitron ratings.  As of December 2012, the station is currently 14th overall in the market.  It kind of embarrassing considering CBS hired Jason Kidd, a DMV local to be the station's program director and turn the tide of this wayward ship in 2011.  Prior to Kidd's tenure, WPGC began to reintroduce some pop songs only spun on rhythmic contemporary hits radio stations like Z100 in New York, B96 in Chicago, and Power 96 in Miami.

Although the station has officially moved from the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop panel to the Rhythmic panel in July, its ratings have remained stagnant with only occasional influx of marginally higher overall ratings.  The results display that their problems lay with playlist which is a mixture of contemporary hip-hop, R&B, and pop songs.  However, the station's mixture of contemporary hip-hop and R&B is mostly chart topper songs from either genre rather than a wider variety of such found on most other urban stations.  Although their promotional events like "For Sisters Only" and concerts of the hottest hip-hop and R&B artists mainly targets 25-40 year black particularly black females, but the all-over-the-place playlist is main deterrent.   Basically, they have given their core audience, 18-49 year old blacks, a reason to look elsewhere a significant portion of the time.

My solution, it's time WPGC goes back to its roots of being an urban contemporary radio station that occasionally spins pop or dance music but focuses primarily on R&B and hip-hop song titles.  However, the DC region hasn't changed to the point that it would warrant them to attempt to sound like Z100 in NYC because the region has a larger than average black population.  Also their numbers are abysmal and there needs to be some serious soul-searching on the station's core demographic group (which has always been 18-49 year old blacks).  It's bad when Radio One's WKYS is eating their lunch like it is going out of style in the 18-34 demographic group overall.

Fiscal Cliffhanger

Is there truly a fiscal cliff or a dramatic cliffhanger for the US media to run-amok with as usual so they have some headline to keep eyeballs captivated?  We have so many things going on around this nation at the moment ranging from the high employment, racial animus at an all time high, faltering infrastructure, and let's not forget the climate change on going.

Now with the psychologically defected exposed nationwide for the racially averse heretics they are, their deranged representatives in DC are now playing chicken with the nation's financial future do the usual "to show that damn nigger in office who's boss".  However, what those assholes doesn't realize is that the majority of the citizenry will hold their sorry asses accountable this time not President Obama.  Oops, I bet their asses did see that one coming!

Yeah, we have a number of things to worry about right now, so this fiscal cliffhanger shouldn't even be one of them at the moment....

Uh huh, so you want to deal with NYC...

Yeah, I will say this.  I'm not exactly the biggest fan of New York (City) for a number of reasons including it being overrated.  So this op-ed piece that appeared on the Huffington Post by Leigh Owen.  He basically said in a sort of words, "if you are black or Hispanic, you need to leave NYC, ASAP".  This stresses my sentiments of why I am lacking in fascination of that city and its surrounding region.  Don't get me wrong it would be nice to see and visit but in realistic terms on livability for myself, nope.

I know somebody that is a former (an ex) that is relocating there and his premise of doing such is because he is tired of the South.  His rants included the overzealous nature of the religious particular religious blacks and "intelligent people" in Atlanta and the South in general.  Also the fact that one doesn't need a car in NYC as well with 24/7 mass transit.  Yeah, it is true that NYC and the Northeast Megalopolis lacks overt religiousness compared to the South and higher than average people with education attainment.

However, that doesn't translate to the devoid of religious blacks because US blacks in general are a very pious demographic group as whole regardless of location.  Also I might add that yeah, NYC has 24/7 mass transit but so does Chicago, Philadelphia, and the PATH of Northern New Jersey.  I admire NYC for being "that big city" but it is also a very hostile environment for black and Hispanic males due to its screwed up police force (NYPD), stop-and-frisk policy, and trigger-happy practices of gunning down innocent parties.  To be plain and simple, it's not a good place to be black and even the US Census reported that blacks have fled from New York in droves.

As quiet as it's been kept, I would prefer Chicago over New York.  At least I know what I'm getting into and it has a quaint, charming character that New York lacks which is 5 boroughs battling over whom is the most dominant.  All I have to say to him is this, I wish you well and have fun (also learn to be honest with yourself).  I'll be in DC or Chicago where those places have mass transit and are more my flavor because I like my cities with character and diversity not braggadocios places with deep seeded racial problems.

Washington is regretting its selection of Gray...

This is one of those situations where I have to tell folk, "I told you so..." about DC's mayor, Vincent Gray.  Back in 2010, there were so much chatter amongst the black blogosphere about how "bad Adrian Fenty was as DC's mayor", "how he sold DC to white people", and "how Michelle Rhee and Adrian Fenty were ruining DC".  So those across the black blogosphere cosigned the poor judgment of those voting in DC to elected Gray over Fenty.

It's so ironic those are more silent than a whore in church on the huge controversy that has bestowed upon DC for the umpteenth time.  As much as I don't care for any pawn of the business establishment, it seems that Fenty wasn't as idiotic and corrupt as his successor, Gray.  I am actually more annoyed at the fact that folk doesn't seems to want perfection from many that will talk that talk, but never walk the walk.  Gray is a text book example of this mentality and its plethora of failings.

Meanwhile, a number of members in his 2010 mayoral campaign staff, 2 DC Councilmen, and a former mayoral primary opponent were all later implicated to be involved in the shell game of using funds and authority he offered upon getting elected to mayor's helm.  (FYI, for others who want to say "but they do it too", no duh, I know whites do this but they have sense enough to know better to do this do obviously.)  


However, after going from 2 mayors, Anthony Williams and Fenty, whom helped the city regain prominence and allowed significant public works projects and strategies to progress that helped Washington become the planning and community development hub of the East Coast.  Also reformed the DC school district from the average US city school district with low rates of overall scholastic achievement to one where accountability for school progress was enforced from the instructors to school administrators and increase in achievement and test scores during Fenty's tenure.  These are the things that are just as important as allowing adequate access of the citizenry whom are qualified for city jobs and pacifying those whom were in your corner.  It seems that so many in the establishment camp miss this lesson, you have to improve the entire city from across the board.  

I guess living in a city like Birmingham, where this is the reason why there is such a huge leadership void because nobody with pragmatic, progressive, and transparency tied into their political existence that it will continue to be more idiots than leaders at the city's helm.  To sum it up, most Birminghamians lack the nuance of their choices for mayor rather they allow the "establishment" to manipulate their perspectives, and wins every time.  In reality, the same thing happens in Alabama in general, but this applies with white citizens more often than black citizens...

*sigh* This is so depressing and shows that sometimes you have to give it up to the predominately white urban business establishment in a number of US cities.  They can get a progressive that has some sense elected that is smart enough not be caught up in blatant corruption.   I was shock when New Orleans chose Mitch Landrieu, because one he wasn't a puppeteer of the black establishment nor was he was one of the urban white business establishment.  New Orleans wasn't alone considering Charlotte elected Anthony Foxx, whom like Landrieu, wasn't apart of neither camp, rather loosely affiliated with both sides in the way to get elected.

Folk has to get it together because there seems to be a leadership problem in Birmingham, Atlanta, Memphis, and now Washington...

Cities with significant black populations in their region

All this talk about cities with large black populations has got me thinking about the places that have such and the ones that doesn't.  Statistically, a place with a large black population is based upon the percentage being 15% or greater of its overall population being considered African American or black.  Everyone (and their mother) is familiar with some of places off the top of their head like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and nowadays Atlanta.  However, there are some other cities with some impressive black populations, but overshadowed by the aforementioned places.  Here is a list of these places:

Houston
Charlotte
Memphis (which has the highest concentration of any metropolitan area with 1 million+ inhabitants at 43.5%)
Baltimore
St. Louis
Kansas City
Birmingham
Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill
Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point
Norfolk/Virginia Beach
Richmond
Dallas/Fort Worth
Cleveland
Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach
New Orleans

Here are some ideal places where one can find black culture in the region, but doesn't want to reside in those in the initial list of places like NYC to DC to the ATL.

A post dedicated to urban radio

I haven't discussed on this blog in over year the affairs of urban radio, but I am dedicating this one post to it.  Right now, I'm going to dub this one the "State of Urban Radio" post.

Right now, urban radio is in a tizzy because of the recent changes and shifts due to the release of more analysis and summary profiles of 2010 US Census decennial count.  In Atlanta, V-103 (WVEE) is still dominating by a long shot as the #1 urban station and overall station in the Atlanta radio market.  As of the January 2012 Arbitron ratings, WVEE is pushing a 10-share with 9.8.  CBS Radio Atlanta management is doing a helluva job maintaining an equal balance of dayparting musical programming with major events and promotions for the station.  Although, Atlanta isn't considered the largest market for the urban division, the station is still the 'flagship'.

Washington DC, is other major urban radio market where things are still changing and shifting with the times.  After nearly 5 years of floating around and dealing with so many shift, CHRurban juggernaut, WPGC 95.5 has found its footing.  It is finally secured its place back into the overall 12+ top 10 of the Washington radio market.  However, it still hasn't found a way to take down the R&B-exclusive urban adult contemporary formatted stations of Howard University-owned WHUR 96.3 and WMMJ "Majic 102.3", which are still respectively #5 and #6 overall.  I'm a huge fan of CBS-owned urban/urban-leaning rhythmic CHR stations, so I'm rooting for WPGC because they have shown they can be a well-programmed station that competes with both UACs, Radio One-owned urban contemporary WKYS "93.9 WKYS", and Clear Channel-owned CHR/mainstream (top 40) WIHT "Hot 99.5".  Unfortunately, they have just had bad management over the past few years since long time program director/VP of urban/rhythmic programming for CBS Radio, Jay Stevens, jumped ship on them just in time for the arrive of the Portable People Monitoring (PPM) system of ratings allocation into the DC market in early 2007.    WPGC is now back to playing actual hip-hop and R&B, contemporary and old school, along with some crossover pop tracks, which works for them considering they aren't V-103, rather a crossover station that targets blacks, Latinos, and some suburban whites.

In San Francisco, Clear Channel-owned and long-time CHRurban, KMEL "106 KMEL", is still doing their thing.  Although they are the only urban station that targets 18-34 year olds, although they program towards the 18-49 year old crowd.  Regardless, they are still doing their damn thing with #5 overall in the 12+ ratings of the San Francisco-Oakland radio market.  It is surprising for a Clear Channel station, well programmed with throwbacks from the late 1980s through mid-2000s integrated into its playlist and mixshows.  Overall, they are doing a good job.  These days, KMEL is the best programmed urban station in the high ranked market in the nation.

In lower ranked but major markets, Orlando has turned into a complete and utter disaster for CBS Radio.  WJHM "102 Jamz" has shifted towards rhythmic category, essentially dropping all of its contemporary R&B from its playlist, not like DC sister station WPGC which maintained its urban-lean the entire time.  Sitting at the bottom of the heap in the Orlando radio market at #15. Now with a playlist consisting of mostly dance, electropop, and hip-pop tracks, and it sounds like garbage.  This is what happens chasing after Cox Radio-owned WPYO, "Power 95.3" and allowing their sister station UAC-formatted WCFB "Star 94.5" runamok in the Orlando market unchallenged. Their play is to chase after Clear Channel-owned WXXL "XL 106.7" and "Power 95.3" with this shift hoping to bounce back. CBS needs to get it together with WJHM because "102 Jamz" is the only true heritage station in the market that has carried urban music over-the-air, but they are too busy trying to experiment with the rhythmic (non-urban-leaning kind) format in a market with a growing black population (15% as of the 2010 Census).

Not very bright at all if you ask me.  CBS might just failed this market not because of it is trying, but because they are trying the wrong things with a station that actually has the best positioning from signal strength and penetration to reputation amongst urban music listeners in Orlando and Central Florida.  I expect this station to remain sitting below the top 10 for a long time to come because Orlando isn't Miami, where they only have one rhythmic "Power 96" WPOW, that had to constantly reformulate itself to deal with Latin rhythmic stations and a rhythmic AC.  Miami is way more ethnically diverse.

Other mentioning is the strength of black-owned and operated station, KPRS "Hot 103 Jamz", in Kansas City.  Carter Broadcasting Group is still going long and strong even in this corporate-owned radio era with a locally-owned and operated (and non-white owned) urban station.  It is another surprisingly well programmed urban station in this Great Plains metropolis.  Although most of the blacks in reside in the cities of Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City/Wyandotte County, Kansas in the bi-state metropolitan area.  The station has a flamethrower signal that can be hard nearly 70 miles in any direction from its tower site in the southside of Kansas City (MO).

New Year, and one more semester

This year, I embark on the conclusion of my time in Auburn-Opelika area in Alabama and will be moving on afterwards.  THANK GOD!  I will be finishing up my graduate studies and will be relocating elsewhere.  Now I am not totally sure if elsewhere is going to be Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Washington, Orlando, Memphis, or New Orleans.  I'm kind of conflicted because I know there is nothing here in Alabama for me and should venture elsewhere because it seems nothing of worth will come from this place for while.  However, I am going to try to blog a little more rather than every 4 weeks on the current issues and things that have been going on with myself.

Things I must say aloud that need to be told

Riddle me this, riddle me that, why is it that certain men whom want to be 'closeted' about their lives seem to post pictures on social networking sites like Facebook and/or Twitter on Memorial Day weekend?  I mean if you are a single black males and most people realize you are a ***AHEM*** 'confirmed bachelor' then why would you travel to Miami or Washington, D.C. and then post the pix?  I'm not dumb and some others aren't dumb either people, the widely known skinfest for black SGL men and their admirers was held on the Greater Miami area this past Memorial Day weekend (as it is every Memorial Day holiday for the past 11 years) and also the DC Black Pride was held in Washington.  So...  I mean in the words of Ed Lover, "COME ON, SIR!", we all now know are suspecting that you aren't straight, but you want to play that role then have at it but don't say I didn't warn you all.  I'm not saying, but I'm just saying...

In other things, I see that the GOP side of the 2012 presidential race has turned into an attention whorefest where Sarah "I can see Russia from my backyard" Palin is riding around the Megalopolis corridor beckoning for attention.  This Alaskan heifer wants everyone to pay attention to her simple-minded ass, but yet wants to proclaim she isn't running.  Then why are you traveling up on the down the East Coast in a bus, moron?  I can't stand people whom want attention but then play dumb when they are called out on it.

In Alabama, recall they say, recall?  I don't think so.  However, Alabama State Senator (and well known corrupt politico), Roger Bedford along with Senator Marc Keahey has filed two separate but identical bills in the Alabama Legislature calling for recalls of state politicians.  However, the catch is it is only for state officials not county or municipal level officials.

“The potential for recall elections forces legislators to be more accountable to the people, and diminishes the influence of special interests groups and political party bosses,” Keahey said.

Keahey’s amendment would allow the public to recall an elected official after one year into the elected official’s term of office. To recall an elected official, Keahey’s bill states that voters must file a petition with the Secretary of State. The petition must be signed by a number of voters that equals at least 25 percent of the vote cast in the previous election for the office being recalled. The petition must then be submitted to the Secretary of State within 90 days of the original filing. If the Secretary of State determines that all requirements have been met, a recall vote will be scheduled for the sixth Tuesday following the announcement of the decision.

I knew Bedford especially didn't truly mean to promote reform considering he is the well-known Pork King of the Alabama Legislature.  But I digress, it seems like they have formulated 2 bills hoping it will pass this late in the regular session of the Alabama Legislature, which I know they won't unless a miracle on Goat Hill occurs.  Anyways, that's that.  (h/t to Left in Alabama and the Atmore News for the links).