Country Music Radio Programming in Australia.

After Reading an Article in Country Update on The Inaugural Country Music Radio Seminar in Tamworth in January, I thought I should Write Down my thoughts on Country Music Radio Programming In Australia having had 32 Years Experience of Country Music Radio In Melbourne.

The debate at the Seminar Put Forward the Case that Country Music Radio Programming Should focus on a Hit or Chart Driven Format. From My Experience this type of Format has been used Before and what this led to is Radio Station's playing The Same Songs Over and Over Again to the Point that People tired of this high Rotation Style programming, this is what Resulted from using a Hit Or Chart Style Radio Policy.

When Public Radio Started in Melbourne in Late 1979, This opened up a much Wider Range Of Music Being Played That Commercial Radio Didn't Play, Including many unheard of Country Acts, Many of Them Australian. I Know This Because I was the Country Music Co-Ordinater at PBS-FM in Melbourne and Later a Station Music Co-Ordinator as well.

The article also States that Radio Stations need to Play the Music people want to Hear, actually working that out is Virtually Impossible, People's Taste's in Country Music range from The Day's Of Jim Reeves & Patsy Cline Through to Keith Urban and Taylor Swift and Everything in Between.

How it can Be said that The Average Listener of Country music on Radio is Female with 2 Children aged 25-29 is beyond comprehension, Walking around at Tamworth During The Festival it was obvious that a lot of the People there, were in a Much Older Age Bracket.

There is Certainly a Market for Younger Country Music Fans and it is Obvious that Acts like The Sunny Cowgirls, Taylor Swift and Lee Kernaghan Bring a Much Younger Audience in Australia to Country Music. I Certainly agree That Country Radio and The Country Industry and The Record Companies should work Together To Promote Country Music, and it Is Great that Country Music Charts are there as a Guide For Country Music Announcers, But To Run A Country Music Radio Format based on These Charts is a backward Step.

Personally, I have played many Independant Country Acts on my Radioshow's over the last 32 Years, as Well as Record Company Acts too, and there are Many other Public Radio announcers That have done the same Thing. Would a Country Music Format Lead To Less Of These Great Artists Getting Airplay???. What Sort of Format would There Be, Just Comtemporary Country Pop??? or would they Cover other associated Styles.

Before Commercial FM Radio Officially Started In Melbourne, These Commercial Stations Transmitted a wide Variety Of Rock Music and Listeners Thought this was Great, But When The Station's offically began Broadcasting they reverted to Format Style Programming, Much to the Disappointment Of Many Would Be Listeners.

So What Do You Think Radio Stations and The Country Music Industry Should Do, Please Leave me Comments and Your Thoughts, i Would Be Really Interested in Your Feedback.