by Hank Brockett
10/18/01
“Radio versus television in the realm of the malevolent music industry — just who prevails in the barbaric break-out of hot new bands?”
In a business where chicken-and-egg philosophical discussions take a back seat to Soundscan numbers and Billboard charts, music video professionals took a short time to contemplate it all last Thursday — their conversation jabbing and weaving with the notion of what medium decides whether a song receives visual airplay.
Six panelists who make their living through music’s visual offspring gave both theories credence as part of CMJ’s Music Marathon last week.
Michael Garvey, a member of the VH1 programming team, said he looks at how a song fares on radio when making the decision to compose his network’s 65 hours of music video programming a week.
“When videos are coming to us, they’re at a point when an artist is about to explode nationally,” Garvey said.
Other artists fitting this mold, finding ears before eyes, have included Nickelback, Matchbox Twenty, Dave Matthews Band and Lifehouse — with varying degrees of long-term success.
For Paul Carchidi and Rage TV, his impetus falls on the vibrant Boston live music scene ... and what’s not playing on MTV.
Rage TV airs at 2 a.m. on the Boston WB network affiliate, a far cry from its prestigious 24-hour brethen. But night owls and devoted fans support Carchidi’s goal of showcasing about eight videos with interspersed artist interviews.
“People who are into new music have a thirst for it through life,” Carchidi said, as he explained viewers look for something not easily accessible through the big networks. “We’d rather give our limited air time to artists that could use it.”
That means strong relationships with the likes of Tori Amos, an artist the network took a chance on before she gained a strong following. Other contributors have included Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro.
But Rage TV finds itself an anomaly in the television world, especially given the poor ratings that video-only programming usually receive since the format’s inception. Now, MTV counts “Say What Karaoke” as a ratings-grabber and a foundation for success — a foundation sometimes straying far from the network’s namesake.
Raquel Bruno, talent manager and booker for MTV Radio, supports the idea that the music video business will look more to a media synergy approach. That is, networks better serve an audience by taking advantage of radio, television and the Internet.
Bruno’s job entails sending out daily music news, supplemented by interview snippets, for play on morning-drive talk shows.
In MTV’s organization, musical acts like Alicia Keys can take off on radio before the video end takes a chance. And, to satiate viewers looking for more videos, the Web site offers on-demand streaming videos.
But MTV’s most visible portion of the 360 Initiative still refers to those last two letters -- the main television network. And for every video offered online, careers take off 10 times faster by judging outrageous contests during spring break programming
Garvey also supported the video star theory, citing the quirky example of Fatboy Slim — an artist who has clung to the belief that it’s better living through the nimble soft-shoe of Christopher Walken.
Or the slow-motion destruction of everyday appliances. Or even the spastic styling of an inept but lovable dance troupe. For each chart-placing song laden with Velcro hooks and trampoline beats, the electronica artist sells his music by hiding himself and selling albums without tremendous radio support.
And cultural watchdogs everywhere have looked at Total Request Live and its cultural significance, calling it more of a lifestyle program than a music showcase — a term Carchidi certainly supports. The appeal of a regular host, like Carson Daly, brings in more viewers than the uncertainty of what song plays next.
At least that’s the theory the networks offer, citing numbers whenever the music fans long for huge blocks of new and different music.
However, in a 360 circle of reasoning, those songs still move — on radio, on television and, record execs hope, off the racks. That means more artistic exposure on all media fronts for the chosen popular artists, with little care as to who found out first.