[cma-l] Local Music Policy

[Richard Berry]

Hi Nikki

At Utopia we introduced a local music pledge to our daytime music  
policy a few years ago, in preparation for our fulltime launch later  
this year. It is made easier because our daytime music output is  
playlisted (using Autotrack) and all we had to do was to add 1 track  
per hour, with more in the evenings vis local music shows when we have  
someone willing to make one(!)  Adding local music is a really easy  
way to add local content and is something local radio should do.

For me this is a total no-brainer. Local commercial radio rarely  
supports local music, BBC LR won't in regular programmes yet there is  
a market for it - witness the numbers of followers bands have via  
myspace etc. As a Community station you can not only support local  
music/culture but easily offer a key musical point of difference that  
you can sell and use to draw people into the station who may not  
otherwise have come. If you has the resources to do it, you could  
offer bands the chance to add downloads to your website and share  
revenue with them (sure to be some examples out there of this - start  
with amazingtunes.com)

we've also organised local gigs, which we broadcast live or recorded.  
Again, these are good profile events which benefit both bands,  
audience and the station. They are not easy to organise but there may  
well be people in the community who know what to do and will be  
willing to help you out.

Anyway, just some quick thoughts

rich


Richard Berry
Senior Lecturer in Radio Studies
Admissions Tutor
Programme Leader: FdA Community Radio & BA Radio
The David Puttnam Media Centre, St Peters Campus
Sunderland, SR6 0DD
Tel: 0191 515 2239
Skype & Twitter: richardberryuk
Web: www.sunderland.ac.uk/radio
Tags: www.delicious.com/richardberry
Blog:myblogs.sunderland.ac.uk/blogs/radio/








On 11 May 2009, at 16:22, Nikki Morris wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> Hope you are well and enjoying the sunshine?
>
> As you know SHMU is not just all radio - we also have video,
> publications, wi-fi and music projects running here too. I am  
> currently
> working with a colleague on developing a local music policy for  
> shmuFM.
> There has already been some substantial work done with local
> bands/artists through a short term funded project called BeatBack. We
> are now looking to take it to the next level. I was wondering if any  
> of
> you would have some words of wisdom to share from your experiences of
> developing the music policy for your station.
> So far the things we have thought about are:
>
> What would we actually offer bands/artists?
> How would we promote it to bands/artists?
> How would we promote it to listeners?
> How can we get schools involved?
> Potential live broadcasts from gigs
> Linking up with music venues
> A radio show dedicated to local music
> How would we monitor/evidence the work
>
> If you could email me back with your advice/suggestions and also any
> paperwork templates you may have that would be great.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Regards
>
>
> Nikki Morris
> shmuFM Station Manager
>
> -- 
> please reply to
> nikki at shmu.org.uk
>
> Nikki Morris
> shmuFM Station Manager
> Station House Media Unit
> Station Road, Woodside,
> Aberdeen  AB24 2WB
> Tel - 01224 515013	
>
> www.shmu.org.uk
>
> listen to our community radio station live on 99.8FM and at www.shmufm.net
>
> SHMU is a charity registered in Scotland - SC034211 and a registered  
> Limited Company - SC332413
>
>
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