Black Radio News: Soul 73 KKDA FIRES on-air staff

[skyvolt2000]

http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2012/05/most-of-the-soul-in-soul-73-was-shown-the-door-today-including-bobby-patterson-as-only-willis-johnson-remains.html/

The great Joe Nick Patoski just passed the word: There’s been a house-cleaning at KKDA-AM (730), better known as Soul 73. That’s according to the Radio-Info.com message board, which is usually right about these things. And Bobby Patterson confirms: He was in fact let go today, along with Ernie Johnson, R.L. Griffin, Cindy B and Roger B. Brown. Only political consultant Willis Johnson and his morning show will remain. Patterson, one of Dallas’s greatest singers and songwriters and disc jockeys, says station owner Hyman Childs informed everyone today that this was it — don’t bother coming in Thursday. He didn’t say why.

“Everybody uses economy as a reason,†Patterson says. “He cut salaries in half two months ago and said, ‘Take it or leave it,’ and we didn’t have any choice. Today he said, ‘We’re gonna have to let everybody go.’ There wasn’t a reason given.â€

[URL="http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2012/05/kkda_lays_off_its_staff.php[/URL]

From a lot of those long-timers, I heard plenty of "I don't know what to do! This is the only thing I know how to do!" But when I got a call from Bobby Patterson this afternoon, I didn't hear any of that sky-is-falling lingo. Sure, he sounded sad, but there was a sense of relief in his voice in being let go from Soul 73 KKDA-AM today.

Patterson has seen plenty in his time in the music industry, cutting singles in the '60s, working for Jack Ruby, producing artists, being a "record man" for major record labels, as well as being a DJ and a regular performer around Dallas. He's not just a survivor in the industry; he's a survivor of life.

Sure, today wasn't the best day of Bobby's life, as he told me, as well as Robert Wilonsky at the Dallas Morning News. But he's been through enough in his life to see that this is a pit stop instead of a drive off of a cliff. The same thing can be said about others let go today at Soul 73, including Cindy B. and Roger B. Brown, people I had the pleasure of working with during my time as a traffic reporter.

Replacing live DJs with automated music is nothing new in radio, especially in DFW, but Soul 73 was one of the last stations around that did things live and fresh, focusing on their core Dallas audience. Where else were you going to hear Lou Rawls' "Groovy People" and Z.Z. Hill's "Love Is So Good When You're Stealing It" mixed in with wild tales by Bobby or Cindy B.? Hell, where else were you going to hear songs like that on terrestrial radio?

 

[southsuburbs]

I read this article a while back about Michael Baisden and the State of Black Radio.

http://thegrio.com/2012/05/09/michael-baisden-dead-wrong-about-black-radio/

Michael Baisden is dead wrong about black radio

After the demise of legendary WRKS-FM in New York, Michael Baisden has been on air petitioning listeners for a spot on WBLS-FM, New York’s remaining Black adult format. Baisden, while correct on the silencing of black voices on radio, is dead wrong about black radio’s problem being something new. Black radio has been taking a whipping for almost 15 years.

The 1996 Telecomm Act, was the beginning of the end of black owned and formatted radio stations. The Bill Clinton backed Telecomm Act, lifted ownership limits and ushered in a new era of corporate ownership. Local programming, news, music and voices have been systematically homogenized. Black radio’s microphone has been muted.

Syndication music-radio morphed from Tom Joyner to the dominant force it is today in Black corporate radio. Out went local talent, music and public service and in went condensed playlist and cost cutting measures that benefit stock holders and not listeners.

Black adults are 75 times more likely to hear syndicated radio than their white counterparts. Black music radio is syndicated more than any other music based format in the country. Corporate America has systemically taken away black voices. One of the people doing it is Michael Baisden. It’s ironic that he’s talking about black radio and the lack of voices. He’s killed local issues, local music and he’s part of the corporate structure that’s done it.

That’s how the black microphone has been muted – having fewer voices on that only talk about certain issues and don’t deal with local communities except to come in and do a concert or party.

********************

I know in Chicago...I can't think of one white radio station that is syndicated. There is only ONE Black station that isn't syndicated (WGCI), Tom Joyner used to be on it in the morning and when he got booted he moved to 106.3 (and I think he purchased it or a percentage of it).

 

[buckwheat]

I read this article a while back about Michael Baisden and the State of Black Radio.

http://thegrio.com/2012/05/09/michael-baisden-dead-wrong-about-black-radio/

Michael Baisden is dead wrong about black radio

After the demise of legendary WRKS-FM in New York, Michael Baisden has been on air petitioning listeners for a spot on WBLS-FM, New York’s remaining Black adult format. Baisden, while correct on the silencing of black voices on radio, is dead wrong about black radio’s problem being something new. Black radio has been taking a whipping for almost 15 years.

The 1996 Telecomm Act, was the beginning of the end of black owned and formatted radio stations. The Bill Clinton backed Telecomm Act, lifted ownership limits and ushered in a new era of corporate ownership. Local programming, news, music and voices have been systematically homogenized. Black radio’s microphone has been muted.

Syndication music-radio morphed from Tom Joyner to the dominant force it is today in Black corporate radio. Out went local talent, music and public service and in went condensed playlist and cost cutting measures that benefit stock holders and not listeners.

Black adults are 75 times more likely to hear syndicated radio than their white counterparts. Black music radio is syndicated more than any other music based format in the country. Corporate America has systemically taken away black voices. One of the people doing it is Michael Baisden. It’s ironic that he’s talking about black radio and the lack of voices. He’s killed local issues, local music and he’s part of the corporate structure that’s done it.

That’s how the black microphone has been muted – having fewer voices on that only talk about certain issues and don’t deal with local communities except to come in and do a concert or party.

********************

I know in Chicago...I can't think of one white radio station that is syndicated. There is only ONE Black station that isn't syndicated (WGCI), Tom Joyner used to be on it in the morning and when he got booted he moved to 106.3 (and I think he purchased it or a percentage of it).

SS,

I'm trying to understand this whole syndication thing. Are you saying that a lot of the black radiostations are being bought out? Wpgc 95.5 here in DC has let two people go in the last two years. Donnie Simpson was let go and Big Tigger was let go early this year. The station has change it's whole format. Free is now the early morning host of the show.

 

[southsuburbs]

SS,

I'm trying to understand this whole syndication thing. Are you saying that a lot of the black radiostations are being bought out? Wpgc 95.5 here in DC has let two people go in the last two years. Donnie Simpson was let go and Big Tigger was let go early this year. The station has change it's whole format. Free is now the early morning host of the show.

I don't really understand the syndication thing as far as if a syndicated show ends up on a channel that means they "bought" (as in purchased) that station. I don't think that's the case. I think in the case of Chicago with Tom Joyner buying into 106.3...the station was struggling anyway and he helped it and also helped himself at the same time. All while basically giving the middle finger to WGCI, the station that let him go.

While I like some of the syndicated shows I can see how not having local DJ's on the radio has hurt communication in the Black community for that particular City. I listen to Rickey Smiley in the morning and the only time Chicago news is mentioned is when it's national news. However...the station with the local DJ's in the morning (WGCI)...I don't listen to them b/c they sound ignant as fugg. :smh: So its' kind of a Catch 22. If you have local DJ's that suck then does it really matter.

 

[Creekside]

In some cases, the corporation that owns a station is also a syndicator. If you look at what stations carry Steve Harvey, you will see that his affiliates in New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee and a number of other cities, are owned by Clear Channel. His show is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, which is owned by Clear Channel. They save money by not hiring local hosts and not paying an outside company to by a program.

With KKDA-AM, at least they are going to keep the format at this time. I would imagine sister station K104 is subsidising the operation. Music radio on AM is a dying breed due to the sound quality and also because most people under 35 know nothing about listening to music on AM. If they did try to listen, they would probably turn it off due to the sound quality. Which explains why most of the AM stations are either news, political talk, sports or religion (usually dollar for holler preachers that buy airtime).

 

[EB]

I would occassionally turn to KKDA when I went to Dallas.