The conversation w/ my colleague (who is a high-level exec in radio) started over Bob Lefsetz’s post “I Hate Radio Festival.”

This exec responded by stating the following:

He doesn’t like Pittman or CC.  A lot of folks don’t.  Everything the blog says is true but the musical purist will die a poor legend and when the indie artist becomes rich they are a sell out. You can’t have it both ways.

Ratings and how stations are measured determines radio audience size and ultimately steer the programming.  The limitations in measurement in viewership for TV and listening on radio do not allow for huge stations like KIIS FM or KROQ to take the artistic risk and road less traveled on the air.  How else can you explain that in LA a city of 10,000,000 people, radio listenership is determined by less than 2,400 people carrying around a beeper that records their radio tune-ins.  Pathetic. But as far as radio dictating musical preferences…go look at i-tunes top downloads…people consumer the same shit and nobody is holding a gun to their head and forcing them to pay 1.29 for Katy Perry.  You’ll only find a fringe of folks following new bands and asking for something new.  And when radio picks up on those trends those non-radio hipsters get bored and move on to the next thing they can discover.  The musical circle of life.

You think the garbage we see on TV would be different if folks had to pay for view?  Yes.  Its called HBO.  As long as advertisers are paying the bills and demand results commercial media must find ways to deliver audience and expectations you are paid to provide.  I know that may seem a bit too business-like, but that’s where the big boys play.  You may not like Pittman but his job ain’t that easy.