Why no Blues Radio Stations?

[mambo4]

If something doesn't sell ads, it doesn't exist.

that is a terrifying truth in almost all media, including our social media profiles

 

[MattZilla]

Well, I was drunk the night my momma got out of prison.

and I left to pick her up in the rain.

but before I could get to the station in my pickup truck-

she got runned over by a danged old train!

 

[badinage]

Country, Blues, or anything else for that matter, song lyrics could use a good kick in the pants.

I know. They write what sells.

Mud truck campfire beer...

 

[GretschWretch]

I think most of the musicians I know like something about a broad list of genres. I didn’t realize how fun rag was until I got a little further along as a player.

A lot of the jug band repertoire, particularly NY in the very early sixties, came from rag. Dave van Ronk, Stephan Grossman, folks like them.

 

[WillyW]

because no one listens to the radio anymore boomer

 

[darwin-bass]

Because blues is boring to listen to outside of the club.

 

[JC BASS 91]

In the early 00s the FCC opened a new license classification for low-power FM stations with a broadcast radius of a couple miles. So it could have been legal, just not sufficiently self-sustaining.

I was not aware of that! Very interesting! Maybe that is exactly what it was then. I remember that it was playing some pretty good stuff. Sadly, I lived out of town, so I couldn't listen on a drive home, only if I was driving around town.

 

[5StringBlues]

No one makes any $ playing da bluz least of all a radio station. Just sayin’…

And yet I supported myself for 25 years playing it.

 

[SoulReflection]

Practically every US town, or region, has a country radio station, a Top 40 station, maybe an oldies and gospel station, but I don't ever recall any blues radio station. (Not an online station)

I wonder why that is.

My take is that they are not necessary. Today's radio stations are, for the most part, aggravating. They have too many obnoxious ads and there are are better options.

Most people have the ability to play their preferred tunes from their phones, at home and in their cars. Whether the tunes come from their music collection or downloaded, they can play randomly and without ads. Then there is satellite radio.

The only time I use my radio is when I need traffic info or news on the road. Even then, Waze is my preferred traffic source.

 

[Smith357]

Radio is about advertising money, no money in the blues, that is why you are singing the blues.

But now, Streaming, I can hear Delta, Chicago, Rhythm &, et. et. as much as one can stand.

 

[5StringBlues]

Any blues thread on TB gets full of misinformation and misunderstanding.


It all sounds the same? Did you guys still saying that listen to any of the examples earlier in the thread?



Keep your eyes, your mind shut and your mouth open wide...........

 

[DJ Bebop]

Practically every US town, or region, has a country radio station, a Top 40 station, maybe an oldies and gospel station, but I don't ever recall any blues radio station. (Not an online station)

I wonder why that is.

A lot of blues programing but no blues stations.

 

[groovepump]

As much as it pains me to say this... Country sells air time, Blues doesn't.

Damn Straight! Probably half our set list is country, and I drive the hell out of the basslines on most songs! We get a lot of $$$ in the tip jar. I aint complainin' 'bout that!!!! We usually pack the place out. We gonna ride 'till we can't no more....

 

[Bass-ball]

For the same reason there's no funk radio stations (which I would love).

Although, with streaming, you can have this so long as the internet is nearby. I still think Pandora's 'prediction engine' suits my tastes better than Spotify does, yet I actively use both to create radio stations off of specific artists, albums, and even songs.

 

[Alkali Ike]

Every time a radio-related topic comes up on TB, I'm baffled at how many people seem to be completely unaware of public non-commercial stations that really WILL play most anything, including blues.

 

[ardgedee]

It all sounds the same? Did you guys still saying that listen to any of the examples earlier in the thread?

Serious suggestion from somebody who doesn't know from blues but always likes to learn new things: Start a thread for people to post good blues from Youtube. Somebody did one for punk a couple months ago and after a few hundred posts it's cooled down a little but still gets another video now and again.

 

[5StringBlues]

Serious suggestion from somebody who doesn't know from blues but always likes to learn new things: Start a thread for people to post good blues from Youtube. Somebody did one for punk a couple months ago and after a few hundred posts it's cooled down a little but still gets another video now and again.

Have considered. There is one already for blues and R&B from the 60's.




TB is rawk and roll.......

 

[Alkali Ike]

KRVM-FM has a total of 20 hours of blues programming 7 days a week. I think the show has 6 different hosts so there are diverse takes on what constitutes "blues".

https://krvm.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Program-Guide-2-1-21.pdf

See? Ain’t nobody got time for that! One of many relevant replies in the thread receiving no acknowledgement whatsoever.

 

[Herrick]

Blues is a niche within a niche. Radio exists to sell ads. You sell ads by attracting listeners. Blues is usually relegated to a subcategory of jazz. Most jazz stations are non-commercial, membership supported, because there isn't a big enough market to sell ads.

View attachment 4789832

Source: Streaming growth boosts R&B/hip-hop share of global recorded-music sales

I'm surprised Rock has that much of a percentage.

 

[51PRI]

I was watching an episode of "Bar Rescue" with John Taffer some years back. In this one particular episode his recommendation to the bar owner was to get rid of the blues band, since only 2-3% of the bar going population wants to hear it. Can't remember if that was a general statistic, or just this particular area. This could help explain why there are so few blues radio stations.

I remember that episode. And he was right, too!

KRVM-FM has a total of 20 hours of blues programming 7 days a week. I think the show has 6 different hosts so there are diverse takes on what constitutes "blues".

https://krvm.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Program-Guide-2-1-21.pdf

Cool. So there is at least one blues radio station in the USA.

TL DR, (even the title of the thread): "Why no blues radio stations", not "where can I find blues on the web, pandora, sirius, or an hour blues radio show"

Because I wasn't looking for a place to find blues.

because no one listens to the radio anymore boomer

Even back when folks DID listen to the radio (when was that) I don't recall any full on blues radio stations. Maybe there were some back when blues was called race music.

And yet I supported myself for 25 years playing it.

Do you support yourself playing blues now? Could you if you wanted to?

Any blues thread on TB gets full of misinformation and misunderstanding.


It all sounds the same? Did you guys still saying that listen to any of the examples earlier in the thread?.......

I think that, to a large extent, blues DOES sound the same to many non musical type folks. Loads of pentatonic wankery gets old quickly to them, I would bet.