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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

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