Posted on 12/09/2006 5:29:28 AM PST by rhema
Three years after attacking President Bush, the Dixie Chicks and country music radio stations still aren't "ready to make nice."
One of the most successful female country acts is ending the year on a high note: five Grammy nominations, including album, record and song of the year.
Most refuse to play their songs, fearing alienated audiences, lower ratings and in turn, less advertising revenue.
Earlier this year, a few stations turned down ads for Dixie Chicks concerts.
Radio companies and industry experts insist the stations aren't picking on the Chicks.
Instead, in an industry driven by research, they're making hard business decisions.
The surveys keep coming to one conclusion: Country music fans, among the most patriotic of listeners, still haven't forgiven the Chicks.
"I love the Dixie Chicks' music, but you have to know your audience and know your marketing model," said Gerry McCracken, country format coordinator for Cox Radio Inc., which owns 10 country radio stations.
Mr. McCracken cited research conducted earlier this year that revealed half of country music listeners either did not want to hear any Chicks music now or never wanted to hear their songs again.
"Those numbers are off the charts," Mr. McCracken said. "With those kinds of numbers, we wouldn't even play George Strait."
Such research helps explain why only one country station out of 114 across the U.S. played the Chicks' song "Not Ready to Make Nice" – which was nominated for song of the year – during the week of Nov. 27, according to Radio & Records, an information firm that tracks the industry.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
I sense the invisible hand at work here
How long before the socialist liberal friends and backers of the Dick-zy Chicks start claiming "musical racism"?
The Grammies have been politically decided for years. Heck, I remember the year when that horrid song "Killing Me Softly" by Roberta Flack beat out such songs as "Stairway to Heaven" as "Best Song". They just had to have a black winner that year. Well, fine, but why not reward a good black performer? What a load of crap. I've ignored those stupid worthless awards ever since. They mean nothing especially since music appreciation is entirely subjective.
This award is just a load of political solidarity to reward the looney left.
Yes Natalie, there really is a Santa Claus.
But is there a sanity clause?
In other news, Franco is still dead.
This makes the Grammy's into the joke I always thought it was.
The Nobel prize was exposed as crap when they gave one to Arafat and to Jimmy Carter, now the Grammy people are exposed for what they are.
5 nominations for an act that cant sell tickets to their performances.
Well I have stated here and in toher places that Country Music today is garbage anyway. Bring back George Jones.
Well, so far in this thread I've seen references to the Dixie Slutpuppies, George Strait and George Jones.
What are the differences?
None of the Slutppuppies are named 'George'.
George Strait and George Jones play REAL country music.
How about Hank and Elvin Jones?
George Michael doesn't play real country music, and he's a chick.
How DARE those radio stations refuse to play songs just because their audiences don't want to hear them?
Every single Drive By Media article wailing about the Dixie Chicks "conveniently" fails to mention the other reason country fans don't want to hear them. That reason, of course, is that the Chicks never pass up an opportunity to bash their fans as ignorant, racist, flag-waving hicks.
But mentioning that wouldn't fit into the the victim template they've created for the Dixie Chicks, now would it? Besides, the media attacks its customer base the same way, so to them, what's the big deal? And then they wonder why their stock prices tank and their newsrooms shrink.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh Haaaaaaaaahh
They aren't country. They said they did not want to be country, they did not want any more "red-neck bambi killing hicks" fans, they preferred a small audience of "cool" people and we obliged.
If you are not country, your music doesn't get played on country stations. It is pretty simple really.
But-----George Jones is stil alive.
Not may of the old ones left and most of them are waaay past their prime. The new guys just arent getting it done.
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