The Local Spin: The day the music died?

GEORGE V. NOSTRAND

Whoa. So I just drove over here and tried to hear the All Live Request at Five on WEBK and there was this awful song advertising Captain Morgan rum that made me angry.

And then sure enough they say “This is the NEW 105.3 CAT COUNTRY” and I said, “What the BLEEP? I have to call George and see what is going on.”

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Friday, “the powers that be” switched what was arguably the only decent radio station in the Rutland area to a country format.

The reaction of many people was shock and outrage. I received many e-mails and calls similar to the one above and challenged people to go to the source and e-mail James Morrell, chairman of Pamal Broadcasting.

Pamal Broadcasting owns more than 35 radio stations, including Cat Country, WJJR, Z97 and WSYB (AM). I e-mailed Jim Morrell myself, asking him to contact me to give his side of the story — meaning more than the form e-mail most people were getting. Surprisingly enough, he called me that evening.

This may surprise you — we actually agreed on more than not.

As I have stated time and time again with live, local music — or any form of entertainment — if you don’t support it, don’t expect it to continue.

Radio is something that most people get for free. They turn it on in their cars on the way to work. Many local business owners tune in during the day. The reality is folks, it takes money to run any business, and if the money isn’t coming in, the entertainment can’t continue.

Listenership is important, but advertising revenue is what keeps the doors open. The closing of WEBK is one more example of how we need to support what we have and not take it for granted.

Whether we are talking about the Paramount or the local bar that brings in bands, it all hinges on people’s support.

Every time you buy a product that is made outside of Vermont or from a chain, every time you rip music and movies off the Internet, every time you choose to stay home and watch some reality show instead of supporting the arts in your community, you are literally putting people’s jobs at risk.

Am I pissed about WEBK? You better believe it! But I also take some level of responsibility for not showing more support to the station.

Just a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to play live on the station to promote my local show.

Uncle Dave had really been making an effort to turn the station around, not only by playing local musicians’ stuff, but also by playing lots of great live cuts and real rock in the morning.

Did I say anything at my gig to thank Dave or promote the station? I don’t think so. Small example? Not really. Every listener counts, every advertiser counts even more. Every person in a seat at the Paramount, at a show at the Chaffee, or who takes advantage of places like Studio Bliss, Art in the Park and Friday Night Live makes a difference.

Did the corporations kill WEBK? In the final blow, maybe. But in reality we could have and should have done more.

What will be next? The Rutland Herald? Go ahead and laugh, but it’s not impossible. People want the freedom to choose, they want to get everything for free or as cheap as possible, without thinking about the ramifications of their choices.

Just remember every choice affects more than one person. You can listen to your satellite radio, read your news for free online and chose to take as much as you can get your hands on. At what point will you remember you also have to give as well?

I do want to thank people who took the time to contact Catamount Radio and Pamal Broadcasting with their concerns. This does make a difference. As I said in my e-mail, apathy is the biggest enemy we face in this day and age.

It is only by taking action that we can change things. I have already heard some creative ideas around alternative radio possibilities and this is great. Something good always comes out of something bad and if we can channel our energy into making things happen, we will all be in a better place.

I do want to close by paying tribute to Uncle Dave and thanking James. I’ll admit, I made Uncle Dave earn my trust and respect. He did it by backing up what he said, taking chances and making a sincere effort to help promote local artists. On behalf of the musicians and listeners in this town, we thank you Dave and salute you for all you did to help make Rutland a better place.

…and by George, keep supporting live, local music!

George Nostrand is a local musician and occasionally opinionated columnist who will probably take a licking for this one …

Give me some Spin! What’s going on with your band, your venue, or your cousin’s uncle’s brother’s band? If it’s musical and it’s happening in the Rutland area I want to hear about it. Send me an e-mail at: localspin@gmail.com and check out www.InviteVT.com for more local music info. Rock on!