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Here I sit again in my office recovering from a another great National Quartet Convention. This year changed some things, especially for radio promoters. Let me start out by saying, "The days are over where radio promoters can legitimately be trashed and degraded by self proclaimed industry healers." I have watched very good promoters and song pluggers ran out of the business with the threat of God destroying them for their evil tactics. To some of the top Southern Gospel artist begging for points and airplay, they are considered hard workers, but to others we (radio promoters) are referred to as crooked and unethical.

I have witnessed first hand the benefits of radio promoters. Guess what? I can prove you wrong. The naysayers don't believe radio promotions is a benefit to new artists. In the 90's Crabb Family, Martins, Anchormen, Steeles, Tony Gore and Majesty, Dove Brothers, New Hinsons and hundreds more had their first Top 80 songs with my company as new artists. These artist dominated the 90's. But, the folks I listed above by themselves have accounted for 26 #1 songs. We heard the same bologna then as we hear now, "It's destroying our industry," "Promoters will never do you any good." Thank God they didn't listen when they were told they were stupid for hiring radio promoters.

Let me show you the the things that have given Southern Gospel Music a growth in 20 years - and I am not saying others who are not listed haven't helped. I am talking about people and agencies that have taken bullets and stayed the course in spite of the rumors, gossip and jealousy.

1 - Bill Gaither- (continues to push our genre into more homes)
2 - Eddie Crook (created a working industry and placed hundreds of acts on the scene)
3 - SouthernGospelNews.com (they took a weak, scattered Internet and gave Southern Gospel a professional home)
4 - Good radio promoters (have given artist a chance the system or labels would not)
5 -Singing News Magazine (continues to monitor and give growth to our genre)
6 - Solid Gospel Network (added 200,000 impressions (people) to our genre via radio)

Out of those icons, we see radio promoters, not up and coming labels with big dreams and ideas, nor concert promoters boycotting flats, nor radio stations demanding money for play, helping to sustain southern gospel music.

I have personally felt the anger and hatred that comes with being a strong willed, successful, determined radio promoter. However, this year alone we have already seen 65 new artist chart and begin to sell records and fill seats for promoters.

Let me explain something, a chart record is valuable within a marketing plan. Alone it has very little significance. If you are releasing songs to get your name listed on a chart to frame and put on your wall, we have several magazines with circulation bases of around 6 people that are more than willing to put you at number 88 or better based on your ads. If your a serious player, you need Singing News, USGN or SouthernGospelNews Charts. These charts have a strong following and are based on National airplay. So, when is a chart record valuable? When you have a detailed plan. This plan may look like this-

I will travel within 400 miles of my home.
I will visit radio stations and local concert promoters in this range.
I will develop a fan base around every favorable station.
I will push for local or National retail around dates and airplay.

Radio promotions may be a total failure if you are not a planner. But, if an artist doesn't have these simple infrastructures already in place, they will fail anyway. Not because of a radio promoter. But, because you have not utilized the number and airplay to your benefit.

Understand the real use of radio promotions and know that radio promoters are useful, hard workers and they help YOU win.

God Bless,
Rick Hendrix
http://www.rickhendrix.com

Reader Comments

Rick,
As usual, your articles are so thought provoking and right on the money. Being an artist for 23 years and having had a radio promotion company for 8 of those years, I know both sides of the spectrum and you can't be successful in one without the other. Of course, that does depends upon how one sees the term "successful." For some artists, success is determined by chart action; for others, additional bookings; for still others, better sales. I honestly think it takes all three ~ of course, I am not stating the FIRST AND FOREMOST GOAL of staying in God's will while doing all this and keeping HIM first! I would "think" that goes without saying, but I'll say it just so everyone knows, since probably like me most of you flunked "Mindreading 101."

I know that, for us, radio promotion has gotten airplay into new areas that otherwise wouldn't have known about our ministry. But it does take ALL OF US working together to see the radio airplay make a difference in our ministries.

I think one of the reasons we need radio promoters is because DJs wear so many hats that they simply can't talk with every artist out there. If one individual can call and check on several artists, it makes the job easier for everyone. AND ... let's face it, a DJ is more willing to be honest about a song to a promoter than to the artist directly.

Several years ago when we were calling radio about artists songs, we also had a release for which we were checking. A DJ asked me, "Did you say you were part of The Gospel Foundation?" (our old name). I was glad he asked it that way so that I didn't have to lie. I answered, "No, I said I'm with Heartsong Promotions and we represent The Gospel Foundation." To make a long story short, he went on to say that the lead vocalist on the song (ME!) sounded like she was singing karioke on the first verse because it was not relaxed. He said the song was okay after the remaining group joined in on the chorus and the lead vocalist relaxed the rest of the way. He NEVER would have told me that if I simply had been calling as the artist. And, by the way, he was right! To this day, I take a deep breath before beginning that song so that it doesn't sound strained. But, I had to be WILLING to accept what he said as well. I don't know about you, but I haven't met anyone in this industry who is 100% perfect vocally, 100% of the time. We can ALWAYS learn.

So Rick, thanks again for your words of wisdom that make us take a look at where we are. And let's ALL work TOGETHER to make this industry the very best it can be!

Donna Strong
HEARTS OF FAITH

Sue, you can visit my website at
http://www.justinendicott.com sign the guestbook
God bless!!

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