College Radio Confessions

I Think I’ ve Said Too Much: College Radio Confessions

By Rev. Mike Tomko

Episode 1: “What is college radio anyway?”

Welcome, one and all, to the first installment of “College Radio Confessions.” This column will serve as a venue for bands, artists, club owners, fans, etc. to learn the inside scoop of what college radio is and how to get a record on air. Each month we will feature a new topic, as well as tips and tricks from industry reps, A&R1 guys, promoters, artists, and my own experiences as a college program and music director. Hopefully by reading this, you will be able to more effectively promote your band, but more importantly avoid the common pitfalls associated with ignorance to the ins and outs of the system.

In order to help you decide if your band is ready to venture out into college radio, we must first define what it is. The word “radio” often confuses people because by no means is college radio within a stone’s throw of good old commercial radio. The commercial side is totally geared toward revenue, whereas college radio delves deeper into the world of diversity, presenting a more freeform listening environment with a not-for-profit twist. This turns some people off when they first listen to a college station because most are not used to

the absence of commercials, less repetition, or the crossing of genres (i.e., a world track into a techno track into a metal track into a folk track). Jerry Sellers, Director of Radio Promotions at Tinderbox Music explains, “From established artists that see far less commercial airplay than they used to receive (Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams), to bands that have fostered huge following that have no help from commercial radio (Flaming Lips, Death Cab For Cutie, Cat Power), to up-and-coming bands who just want to be heard (Troubled Hubble, Fruit Bats, D4), college radio is willing to take a chance on good music that commercial radio assumes the public has no interest in.”

Here’s how it works: For a college station to be serviced2 by a record label, they have to submit their charts to CMJ (the College Music Journal), which is a weekly tabulation of charts submitted by all of the college stations around the country. This, in turn, helps promote the label, because if a lot of stations play their records, then they chart high, which boosts sales and everyone goes home happy. The types of charts that are submitted are World, RPM3 , Loud Rock,

COLLEGE RADIO CONFESSIONS

Hip-Hop, Jazz, Core Rock, and each station’s individual Top 30. This is where you come in…

In the current state of the record industry, there are many deals available for unsigned artists. However, as the number of bands being signed goes up, the quality of their contracts goes down. This means that the best you can hope for is the label to give you a small advance4 , which has to cover recording, touring, and living, as well as providing you with a small college radio distribution/promotion deal. (Statement based on survey results, not intended as a tried and true fact. Of course, there are always exceptions to every rule.) I say, skip the middleman. Rex Donati, Head of College Promotion at Howard Rosen Promotions, stresses that, “If you really want to make it, if you really want to be the next big thing, establish reachable goals, and establish a game plan on how you are going to achieve those goals.” Take this advice to heart, because realistically trying to go from the local bar to the arena isn’t going to happen overnight, but what you do while getting there can determine whether you soar like an eagle or fall like a fledgling baby bird. Try this approach: Take the money you make from gigging and working side jobs to record a good demo, get it duplicated, and then let the promotional storm commence. By taking the initiative to get your record out to college radio on your own, and doing it right, when the labels come knocking, you leave them no choice but to give you a better deal because they can’t just put you back into the college scene. All of these topics will be covered in greater detail in further episodes.

Tune in next month for Episode 2: “Shedding Your Baby Fat—Is it Time?”

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4 A&R: Artists & Repertoire serviced: to be on the record company’s list to receive record releases RPM: a genre encompassing all different versions of techno music advance: an advance is a stipend of money fronted to an artist by a record label to cover expenses before a record is released; this money is only a loan and has to be repaid

Mike Tomko is the acting Program and Music Director for KGLX The Galaxy, the radio station of Webster University, www.kglx.org.