Charterhouse MG was also the radio promotion consulting company for the
start-up and operation of New York based November Records at the start of the 1990's. We were involved in every aspect of the company from the creation of the logo, to the business plan, to the signing of talent and hiring of employees. November Records was originally designed to serve the burgeoning AAA/Progressive music community, and directed its' artist signings and marketing campaigns accordingly. We charted our first two releases, and the band Storyville was a TOP 10 release on the Gavin A3 chart. But that was a different time, and things have changed considerably over the past few years at the format.
At the risk of over simplifying, there appears to be a pretty clear delineation between two types of AAA/Progressive radio stations that have emerged over the past several years. Those whose audience expects diversity, is comfortable with the unfamiliar and is patient with a more organic presentation are one faction. The other has become a format for those who expect to hear the hits, both familiar and new, in a setting that includes much higher rotations, about 75% oldies, contests, TV commercials and somewhat pasteurized at-work listening. And between these two poles lie another 100 radio stations, each with their own unique interpretation of the adult progressive format.
While still risking the oversimplification of it all, there are essentially two ways to go about launching a record to this radio world. The fastest is to blitz the hit radio community with CD singles, trade adverts, promotional junkets to release parties and station contests for listeners. This is the best way to launch a record if you've got healthy budgets, lots of priorities and short patience. Needing to hit a homerun. It can be done, it has been done. For some projects, it is the only marketing choice that makes sense.
Our marketing choice, however, is for a longer term artist development path. It requires sticking to the basics. Zip code by zip code. Get in the car and go there. Connect the radio station to the club to the record store to the critic to the fan. It's a patience game. Move around the bases one at a time. Bunt. Walk. Get hit by a pitch. Whatever it takes. Marry those people. That's the kind of project we prefer. They seem to take longer. They seem to last longer. "Make a living, not a killing" proposed U. Utah Phillips years ago.
If that approach fits with your goals on a particular record, I would certainly enjoy hearing your music. After more than 20 years, I still consider the fun to be finding music to be passionately excited about, to get next to it, and share it successfully with others. Thank you for considering biffco for your radio promotion campaign. Please contact me at kennedy@biffco.com to discuss your album project.