For anyone living in the D.C. metropolitan area, WPGC 95.5 has long been a staple of the urban music community — it is the self-professed "#1 for hip-hop and R&B" in D.C. Only recently have listeners begun to hear artists like Katy Perry, Adele, and LMFAO in addition to the usual Chris Brown, Trey Songz, and Wiz Khalifa on 95.5 — but according to the station's program director, Jason Kidd, this is actually WPGC returning to its roots. "From 1987 to 1997, and off and on in the early 2000’s, WPGC was known as an urban crossover station, mixing urban hits with pop hits," said Kidd.
According to Kidd, the most recent decision to diversify was made based on slipping ratings. The transition has been gradual, and has been undetected by many listeners — possibly because many of the pop songs played on WPGC still have a hip-hop or R&B element to it. Take for example Katy Perry's top-40 hit "E.T." featuring Kanye West, or Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," which is widely classified as Soul music.
Area radio station WKYS 93.9 has for many years been the primary competition for WPGC, as they both played similar artists and songs — sometimes even at the same time. By beginning again to play pop songs like Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are," WPGC seems to be reaching out to a broader audience, something more radio stations may feel the need to do in the near future. With more and more sources of music arising in the wake of a new technological age, radio stations may not find it in their best interest to cater to very narrow, specific genres of music.
Kidd says that a recent tech study conducted by radio consultant Fred Jacobs showed that FM radio was still the top source for discovering new music. But with YouTube, Pandora, and other online sources of music so readily available, what is going to keep the radio industry afloat?
"We can do what Pandora can’t do," said Kidd. "We can entertain, inform, educate and excite the audience with our passions for what we play."
I will speak on the behalf of my internet voyeur sister: I really liked Dana's article because I have wondered why WPGC changed their music. Sometimes I hear Brittany Spears or Katy Perry and check the station because I don't believe it.
ReplyDeletefuck these bitch ass niggas in radio young, they are all controlled by the illuminati and refuse to play socially conscious and relevant music. if they can jam Future and Waka down your throat (at the same damn time) for 9 hours a day at least play something similar to something thought provoking. but radios don't do that becaue they don't want to be thought provoking they want to serve the secret agenda of slowly dumbing downthe audience and numbing their minds.... i just wanted to say that
ReplyDeleteIn my defense, and to be quite frank, this was a far cry from an investigatory piece. I merely noticed a disruption in the usual homogeneity of urban radio and inquired what the reasoning was. Of course there are deeper elements yet to be unearthed, which will have to be the subject of another article. At the end of the day, the radio plays what is either requested or promoted, so the industry can't be entirely to blame for any brainwashing or whatever. People choose, to a certain extent, to brainwash themselves. More comfortable to be sheep and request the same song you heard 12 minutes ago than to ask for something mind stimulating albeit likely far less popular.
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