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jon_chaissonI'm currently re-reading Richard Neer's excellent book FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio, and I have to say that if you are in any way a fan of radio, and especially if you have a background in it, however small, you should definitely read this book. It reminds me why I love radio--both as an entertainment vehicle and as an industry I once briefly worked for. (Why I never followed up on it is another thing entirely, which I won't go into here.)
Specifically, the book follows the history of progressive radio, alternating between his own story of getting into the industry completely by chance (he'd originally gone to college to study acting), and the story of radio's evolution from a crackly AM entertainment to the rise of FM radio. Even more specifically, it delves into the fascinating history in which the radio industry and the FCC didn't quite know what to do with this newfangled frequency band or how to regulate it in its first years. This controlled chaos on the FM band in its infancy is the birth of progressive radio--the idea that instead of rigid Top 40, the playlist was more experimental and adventurous, giving knowledgeable deejays near-free reign in what they played...which in its own way created the art of mixes and segues. It's fascinating to watch as Top 40 remained on the AM band well into the 60s (and even the 70s) while FM was regarded as a curiosity and an experimental playground for disc jockeys and general managers. The "fall" of the title comes in the late 70s when FM finally takes hold on the public and becomes more commercial, stations change sounds to make more money, and the creativity of the deejays is stifled. [In an interesting parallel, I'm seeing the same exact thing happening now with satellite and internet radio--some stations are staying with the rigid playlists, but a number of internet/satellite stations are much more experimental. Note to self: see if Save Alternative is hiring!]
It's also fun to read about his initial thoughts about radio as a kid, thinking that all stations, as in the 30s and 40s, were large glamorous studios with big house bands and audiences, only to find out that most are tiny shoeboxes with extremely outdated equipment, crammed into dank basements of hotels and office buildings, and held together by tape and half-assed welding. Further along he describes how WNEW, in its 60s heyday, became a proving ground for the new type of rock music coming out of the woodwork.
I say all this because this book is very much a template for my Walk in Silence project. While I personally don't have much of a current radio industry perspective (two years at Athol's tiny local station and five semesters at Emerson College's stations), nor do I have the "scene" perspective as an insider or a clubgoer, I do have the obsessive love of a music fan and I'm utterly fascinated by the history of alternative radio--not just alt/indie rock, but its history and its outlets--and so does Neer, so this book is a great reference for me.
Definitely worth reading.
Specifically, the book follows the history of progressive radio, alternating between his own story of getting into the industry completely by chance (he'd originally gone to college to study acting), and the story of radio's evolution from a crackly AM entertainment to the rise of FM radio. Even more specifically, it delves into the fascinating history in which the radio industry and the FCC didn't quite know what to do with this newfangled frequency band or how to regulate it in its first years. This controlled chaos on the FM band in its infancy is the birth of progressive radio--the idea that instead of rigid Top 40, the playlist was more experimental and adventurous, giving knowledgeable deejays near-free reign in what they played...which in its own way created the art of mixes and segues. It's fascinating to watch as Top 40 remained on the AM band well into the 60s (and even the 70s) while FM was regarded as a curiosity and an experimental playground for disc jockeys and general managers. The "fall" of the title comes in the late 70s when FM finally takes hold on the public and becomes more commercial, stations change sounds to make more money, and the creativity of the deejays is stifled. [In an interesting parallel, I'm seeing the same exact thing happening now with satellite and internet radio--some stations are staying with the rigid playlists, but a number of internet/satellite stations are much more experimental. Note to self: see if Save Alternative is hiring!]
It's also fun to read about his initial thoughts about radio as a kid, thinking that all stations, as in the 30s and 40s, were large glamorous studios with big house bands and audiences, only to find out that most are tiny shoeboxes with extremely outdated equipment, crammed into dank basements of hotels and office buildings, and held together by tape and half-assed welding. Further along he describes how WNEW, in its 60s heyday, became a proving ground for the new type of rock music coming out of the woodwork.
I say all this because this book is very much a template for my Walk in Silence project. While I personally don't have much of a current radio industry perspective (two years at Athol's tiny local station and five semesters at Emerson College's stations), nor do I have the "scene" perspective as an insider or a clubgoer, I do have the obsessive love of a music fan and I'm utterly fascinated by the history of alternative radio--not just alt/indie rock, but its history and its outlets--and so does Neer, so this book is a great reference for me.
Definitely worth reading.
