1. HUSIC WEEK
SEPTEMBER L4 1991
Richardson: 'Becord companies need to know uhat stnclents are Listening to'
Chart to halt fall
of campus radio
When U2 picked uP their two
Grammies for The Joshua
Tree three years ago, theY
thanked US college fadio.
The idea of anYone PaYing
similar tribu[e to the UK's
ou'n university and PolYtech-
nic radio stations is almost un-
thinkable.
With only 21 stations in the
UK compared with around 700
in the US, Britain's sector has
been in decline since the earlY
Seventies.
Record companies such as
EIll rvhich once had college
radio promotion dePartments
norv focus on Radio One and
the glorving local radio net-
ri,ork.
The new TDK-sPonsored
Campus Chart, Put together
b-v college Promotions com-
pan-r' Streets Ahead, is an at-
iempt to revbrse Lhal trend.
Compiled from 200 returns
including college radio and
club. DJs plus student maga-
zine rvriters. it aims to act as
a barometer of sludent mustc
tastes. "Record conrPanies
need to know rvhat students
are listening to." reckons
Streets Ahead director Cathl'
Richardson.
Richardson sa-vs the small
number of UK stations com-
bined with a lack of Pla-vlists
and a largely amateur aP-
proach have made it irnPoss-
ible to put togelher an exclu-
sii'ely airpla,v-based chart.
Until no*,. all UK college
stations hat'e relied otl canr-
pus-only audiences of lletrveen
5.000 and 7,000 stude'nts -
compared rvith an average ol'
alound i5.000 itt the US.
Things are changing. horvever.
ivith lr'[anchesler Campus
Radio tMCRt ttext rrionth be-
coming the firsi college station
Lo rvin an FM licence'.
But it rvill take a dist.inct
shake-up be{bre record conr-
panies consitlel UIi college
ladio as ttselul ats its US
counterpart.
American college radio, vi-
tal to developing the careers of
EMF and Jesus Jones, hlls a
gap left by the US media's re-
luctance to focus on alterna-
tive music.
Craig Marks, editor of the
US College Media Journal,
says: "Commercial radio is so
unbelievably conservative. It
reluses to play anY new music
unless it's by an old act."
UK record comPanies have a
rvider range of media at their
disposal. but MCA vice Presi-
dent Stuart Watson welcomes
the Campus Chart's attemPt to
bring college radio into the
promotional Pack.
"Colleges and universities
are tremendousl-v elfective for
breaking nerv acts," he says.
If MCR can help shake olf
colleee radio's traditional
amateur image, it may yet
prove the record industry's
most direct roule to a large
arid influential market.
Martin Talbot