Urban Unrest

24 March 2008 | Community, Programming | Ernesto Aguilar

My hope is that David Rovics’ critique of public/community radio, and Pacifica in particular, sparks some conversations about the role of culture in what we do.

I’ve long considered David Rovics a kindred spirit and am pleased to see him speaking on a topic that is seldom given the play that it should.

Non-commercial radio is a fantastic venue for artists whose content likely means their music would not ever be touched by Clear Channel, Cumulus, Univision, etc. Obviously, non-com radio is a great venue for any artist offering an alternative sound to the mainstream stations. For socially aware artists, though, these kinds of venues are probably the only ones they’ll have. Such makes our responsibility as stations that much greater.

Among some quarters, the contention that people mainly get their music online holds water. ITunes and other services are a testament to online music’s explosion. Nevertheless, the potential for non-commercial radio to raise the profile of political music represents a growth opportunity that Pacifica could tap into more.

Credit to Nalini for the link.

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