The “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of Gospel Radio – Part 2
This month, we continue our look at the history of southern gospel radio. The late Paul Heil, who hosted his nationally-syndicated The Gospel Greats radio program for just over 40 years, wrote a monthly column in Singing News Magazine focusing on the challenges facing many southern gospel stations. Although these articles were written in the late 1980s and early 1990s, many stations still struggle with the same issues some 30+ years later.
Let’s tackle a rather controversial point that Paul made:
“Be consistent in maintaining high quality in the music you play. Do not play songs by artists whose musical talents fall short of the mark. Do not feel compelled to play songs by local groups (or any artists, for that matter) whose hearts are in the right place, but whose voices are not”.
This was in response to him tuning in to various stations across the country and hearing songs that he felt were “sub-par” in terms of quality. He found that several stations would program songs almost entirely from “local” or “regional” groups, instead of more well-known artists.
Upon further research, he found that this wasn’t necessarily the fault of the stations. In most cases, the stations were struggling to get “service” from the major record labels. (Keep in mind, radio stations rarely – if ever – buy their music. They rely on the record companies to supply them with new music).
Of course, back then companies were supplying stations with 45 rpm singles, although a few did send full-length albums. There was hesitancy on the part of some companies with providing full albums, fearing music directors may choose a song other than the “single” that the record company wanted to “push”. Unfortunately, this led to many stations complaining that, with just singles, there wasn’t enough music from well-known artists available in their libraries.
One company that did succeed in service was the Eddie Crook Company, which gave us groups like the Bishops, the Perrys, and the McKameys, among others. In his April 1989 Radio Forum article, Paul shares some feedback from a DJ in Jackson, MS, who indicated, “Ever wonder why and how [Crook] can chart so many songs? Stations play what they have and what they have is what the people get familiar with. Eddie doesn’t dangle his product like cheese over the head of the stations. He just supplies it…and says ‘you decide.’ I think he wins more than he loses with this philosophy”.
Crook’s company excelled not only in distribution, but also with production. He was able to provide ‘up-and-coming’ groups with the resources to produce a recording that was of a high quality that could compete at a national level…at an affordable price. In other words, the recordings did not sound ‘cheap’.
Here is where I feel the southern gospel industry is still struggling today. Nowadays, instead of 45s, we receive compilation or “comp” CDs from the various record companies each month, usually containing 5-8 “singles” from different artists. I cannot tell you how many times I have listened to a new single, especially from independent artists, and cringed at the quality. Sometimes it’s poor mastering/production, other times it’s simply a lack of musical talent. It’s a shame, particularly if it happens to be an ‘original’ song with strong lyrical content. Especially nowadays, with the technology available to produce a good-sounding recording, there’s simply no excuse for it.
Going back to Paul’s initial statement, I feel it is important for DJs to exercise discretion with music selection. Just because a song is ‘new’ doesn’t mean it should immediately enter rotation, especially if it’s of poor quality.
On the other hand, just because a song is NOT from a nationally-recognized artist should not mean it should be immediately thrown aside. I could list dozens of southern gospel groups who have never achieved a “top ten” or “number one” song, but produce music that is of fantastic quality. (That’s why I always caution against music charts – they can serve as a good “guide”, but should be taken with a “grain of salt”).
Now, I’ll touch briefly on the specific topic of “local” groups. Given the advancements in technology, it is becoming easier – and more affordable – for such groups to produce a high-quality recording. But, I’ll echo some of Paul’s comments from back in January of 1992:
“Dealing with local groups is an extremely difficult question from a public relations standpoint. […] If local groups measure up, use them. If not, don’t. Local groups must be encouraged to improve their quality before they can get on the air. When they do, they’ll be glad, for the sake of their public image, that they waited.”
In other words, the fact that a recording is from a local group should be a “bonus” to a well-produced recording…not an “excuse” to air a poorly-produced recording.
In conclusion, I feel it’s important for music directors to “craft” a southern gospel sound that is exclusive to their station, and appealing to their listeners. For instance, here at WBTX we have found that a majority of our listeners favor a “traditional” or “classic” southern gospel style. So, our current music library leans more towards recordings from 1985-2005, coupled with hundreds of newer songs that I feel “compliment” this style. There are plenty of nationally-recognized artists…as well as a handful of groups that I guarantee you’ll be hard-pressed to find on other southern gospel stations.
