Christian Radio and Becky : A Study in Codependency

Posted on 09.28.08 in Music Monday Music and there are 39 comments.

bricolage.108
There is a ridiculous amount of incredibly great music out there that isn’t getting played on Christian Radio.

Here’s my strikingly obvious theory about why:

Christian radio bases it’s song programming on the musical tastes of it’s target audience, code named, “Becky”. “Becky” is a 30 something, married, Christian, soccer mom.

If radio thinks Becky will like it, they play it. If they don’t think she’ll like it, they don’t play it.

Makes sense.

Except, for the fact that Christian radio is pretty much the only way Becky hears new music.

So Becky only hears the songs that Christian Radio plays…

And Christian radio only plays the songs that Becky likes…

Do you see the problem here?

Becky rarely hears anything new so she just keeps giving high ratings to the same stuff over and over and over and over and over and over..

Ahem…

Becky needs some help.

Help is on the way. (More on that later...)

So, If You Were the Program Director For The Day...

What is one song you think Becky should hear?

The Comments:

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Kat.. radio isnt about music, its about advertising, Just like any mass media. Who cares about pleasing Becky?

I really don’t like this ‘us versus them’ stuff, but sometimes I really wish I could hear Derek Webb’s “Wedding Dress” on KLOVE

Hey Keith. Good to see you…

So, what about “listener supported” stations?

"Love is Waiting” by Brooke Fraser.

(And girl.  You know I want to keep listing.  But I’m trying to play by the rules.)

Kat.. if christian radio doesnt open up their playlists, they’ll continue to lose listeners. The old stadium is crumbling..I say let it be so.

Yep, I was just thinking “Wedding Dress” by Derek Webb too.

Albertine by Brooke Fraser...if I HAD to ONLY pick ONE!

Well said, Keith (on both counts).

Lakes of Canada - The Innocence Mission

I’m also with Keith on both of his points.  However, if Christian radio wants to be relevant, I would need to at least hear “Name” by Derek Webb, his most downloaded song, but I know I won’t and not because he uses words they don’t like, but probably because it was on “Grey’s Anatomy”.  What’s funny is that “Name” would test well with “Becky” (especially if she secretly watches “Grey’s") but radio will never try it and that is one of the main reasons I don’t listen to it.

Priest by Laura Woodley

3rd for Derek Webb’s Wedding Dress

Oh, how I’ve been trying to tell these guys how few Becky’s there are left in the world! I’m thrilled I finally have a KLOVE station that comes in now. Less Rich Mullins and more Phil Wickham. Actually, come to think of it, I heard Jimmy Needham the other day. Anything of his is great: authentic and relevant without losing depth and urgency.

Oh. One song? Ooops. Uh, how about… Fight, by Ronnie Freeman

Ah Becky, I hardly knew ye… As a guy who has does radio, my show is one of the few rock shows that will even consider giving indie artists airplay.  My show started out as 65/35 established/indie, now it has reversed in the other direction. 

Parts of the industry are starting to notice that as well.  CRW has established 2 different charts (of which I am a reporting station) that track airplay for indie artists. 

In trying to syndicate my show, I have had stations decide to not carry my show due to not playing enough established artists.  That tells me I am on the right track..

I’m suddenly thankful for my worship nut of a husband.  Just yesterday at church, the worship leader said, “Here’s a new song.” but I’ve been singing it for a year, because my man knows me and the music I’ll like.  Maybe program directors should be talking to my husband Bob and not Becky…

Charlie, we’ve had good success getting our Power Praise Radio show on stations, but its because we’re giving stations what they want.. More food for Becky.. But I figure if we’re going to crack this radio nut, we need to infiltrate slowly.

Check out the show at:
http://www.indieheaven.com/powerpraiseradio

As the wife and sister of CCM artists, can I just say a huge
AMEN !!! to this post.

I don’t know if I have a specific song as much as I just want to hear ANYTHING NEW that’s not by one of five chosen artists!

Always and Forever by Phil Wickham.  They never play that hear.  The only song they play is “Gone” by Switchfoot.  I get so bored that I changed my programming on my radio to Country. 

Keith,
I listen to the show as a podcast.  That is an impressive list of stations, what’s that, 4 continents?  I’d like to chat with you off board sometime about adding new artists to my playlist..

Thanks for the link Keith. I confess, I can’t listen to KLOV or AIR1 because they are to ... uh ... “Becky”. Kat, this is a great post!

Had to think a while about this one; it’s too hard to just pick one I wish would get radio play.  I decided to go with one of the indie artists I listed for a choice - Steven Delopoulos “She Held My Hand” from Straitjacket.

Something from Family Force 5, they’re weird, but they grow on you.

I would love to hear this great guy from the UK, now living on the west coast of Canada, named Steve Mitchinson.  He’s a doctor by day, and a thought provoking songwriter by night.  His voice and his message need to be heard. He’s encouraged my heart and motivated me on many occasions.  A three year old I know constantly requests “Dr. Steve!” when we’re driving in the car, and he rocks out to the music in his carseat, singing all the words.

Becky needs to move to Canada and Christian Radio needs to play what Diane likes…

Hey Lucy!

I can’t remember the artist though…

Also, “People Need The Lord...” THAT is one that would ROCK all the way to the top.

Now Seth, I don’t think sarcasm is allowed here.  I mean, not that much, anyways.

I was listening to Hey Lucy just a day or two ago - now who was that artist?  Oh, it’s on the tip of my tongue!  Maybe if I went to some nickle-psychiatrist they could help me remember.

Euphrony,
I doubt you could find a nickle-psychiatrist, but perhaps if you went to a Five Cent Stand they could help you remember who sings “Hey Lucy?”

I don’t know. It might be a long shot…

That’s why “Big House” and “Flood” are still played on our local Way FM station. I think that there’s a ton of great worship music htat doesn’t get on CCM radio. How the heck are Hillsong United not on “Christian” radio?!

(You knew I’d have something to say didn’t you?)

You’re almost right, Kat.  Well, you are right in everything you said but you left out one thing.  Radio is not the only place Becky hears new (to her) music.  The music Becky likes most is what she hears at church.  This is why Christian radio plays so much “worship” music.  This is why NEwsboys, Rebecca St James, Jeremy Camp, Michael W. Smith and on and on have all stopped recording original music (for a time) and recorded worship albums on which they cover Tomlin, Baloche, Redman and other fine congregational writers.

You see, radio stations test music on Becky.  And what tests best is what has been dubbed “familiar.” And what’s most familiar to Becky?  What she’s heard at church.

Oh, and Becky isn’t just a Christian woman 35-45 years old with kids.  More than half the time, she’s in the group labeled most conservative by Barna - the group that is less than 15% of all American Christians and more than 50% of Christian radio listeners.

Brilliant clear analysis, Kat. Looking forward to your solution.

Hi.  I’m Becky.  And I need help.

Well, I’m not Becky because I don’t listen to Christian radio.  I stopped that long before moving to a country that doesn’t offer it.  But, I would like to say this is a great post and a great conversation.  I’ve run into a few Christian artist out here in the non-christian music world and I think Becky COULD like Robert Randolf and the Family Band (I think that’s their name).  That’ll be my entry.

Do they REALLY not play Hillsongs United on Christian radio?????  That’s surprising to me.

Kat and Euph,

I know those guys!  Shucks…

Speaking of radio picks and since SG popped in here, I’d have “Jesus” or “The Narrow” on that list, fo sho.

It’s difficult to pick one song, but I’ll say New Way to Live by Jason Gray from his Acoustic Storytime album.

I like the idea of hearing Wedding Dress on KLOVE (and a lot of the others mentioned above, like Brooke Fraser, who is awesome), but another great Derek Webb pick would be T-Shirts (What we should be known for) would be all kinds of awesome spun by Jon and Sherri in the morning.

Brooke Fraser: C.S. Lewis Song

wow..some wonderful posts. Kate McDonald and Shaun Groves are here...nice..Hi

Brooke Fraser - C.S. Lewis Song
Robbie Seay Band - Song Of Hope
Hillsong - Desert Song

Well...this is exactly the situation I’ve run into over the past 10 months while trying to get my friends music played.
Also, the lack of support for “one of our own” from church is sadening.

My friend Mark Lavey released his second CD, titled “I Pray”, almost a year ago.
He played a CD Release Concert in April. We’d set up for about 400 people at church. Fewer than 100 showed up. This was a FREE concert!

After deciding to help get the word out about my very humble friend (who will NOT do this on his own) I found this site:

http://www.christianradio.com

It’s a great search engine and lists “every” station in the country which is airing Christian oriented programming. I went through every state looking for websites of stations that are playing music similair to Mark’s (Contemporary Pop/Rock).
Out of over 150 stations that I responded to I heard back from...maybe sixty.
And out of those that Mark sent his CD’s to, guess how many added anything?

NONE

So yes...There is a ridiculous amount of incredibly great music out there that isn’t getting played on Christian Radio.

Here is where you can hear samples of Mark’s work:

http://www.myspace.com/marklavey

If you represent a broadcast or internet station which is truly interested in playing Mark’s music and would like a copy of his disc please let me know!

And if you are in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area you can see Mark quite often as worship leader at The Table...which is a contemporary service at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

Thanks for reading and Blessings on your week!

Steve

Radio once was a place you could discover music.  Not any longer.  It’s background noise programmed to the lowest common research denominator. 

The younger generations are, I suspect, dismissing radio as irreleveant.  As a result, radio finds itself in a corner.

They will either have to get very local, move online with additional self-broadcasting content, or really allow the listener to discover new music on their station.

Bottom line though, as Keith mentioned so rightly, radio is not about music - it’s about advertising.

Oh, and I forgot to add that I sometimes think “Becky’s” taste of music is just terrible.  So that makes me wonder if the quality of the music can be secondary to the worship song and the lyric when it comes to testing.

I also feel some amazing music is being done on the Christian CHR/Rock side.  Also by indies. 

For what it’s worth.....

Hi there!  I work in Christian Radio (and yes, listener supported), and I can tell you that so much music is pumped out there the competition is ROUGH!!!!  There is only so much room for so many artists.  We do play new artists and even indie artists.  Not always as many as we would like.  We do have to fit with our AC format.  We inform listeners of new artists with our online music surveys, testing songs on the air, and by bringing a new artist around for meet and greets with our listeners.  This summer we brought in Francesca Battistelli who is amazing and now getting some decent airplay.  We have had Nate Huss, Phil Wickham, Matt Brouwer (amazing testimony), and Seabird (sound just as good live as on the air) drop by for some live music play in the studio.  Sometimes this fairs very well, and sometimes not so much.  I cannot tell you how many times Becky and her friends Kimberley and Christy call in for another song by Chris Tomlin and Michael W. Smith again and again and again, and this is despite the fact that we have introduced new artists like Justin Unger, Seabird, Nate Huss, Fireflight, Addison Road, and still relatively new Ruth, Tenth Avenue North, Decemberadio, Sanctus Real, Amberlin, The Acess, and Jimmy Needham.  Not only will they request the old school music even after hearing a new song with our request that they call in and give an opinion, we also get blasted for playing something not Christian enough.  Want an example?  Probably not, but I was once yelled at over the phone after a Natalie Grant song played.  The song was Better Hands Now.  Can you imagine getting blasted for the lyrics in a Natalie Grant song? 

Anyway Christian music just like all other genres is subjective.  What pleases one person is not necessarily going to please someone else.

Right now...I’d recommend Ruth.  I’m diggin Back to the Five.  Check them out.  They rock!

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