End of an era... or a new beginning?
Aug. 31, 2005 20:12
First things first.
Here's tonight's playlist:
Echolyn - Misery, Not Memory
Galleon - Three Colours
Mostly Autumn - Carpe Diem
The Urbane - Loop
The Urbane - Immaculate
RPWL - New Stars Are Born
Echolyn - Lovesick Morning
Quidam - Everything's Ended
House Of Not - Pipedream
Magic Pie - Full Circle Poetry
Metamorphosis - When Kenny Was Sad
Anathema - Flying
Satellite - Beautiful World
Xsavior - A Snake In Paradise
Karmakanic - At The Speed Of Light
Riverside - Reality Dream I
Riverside - Loose Heart
Riverside - Reality Dream II
Echolyn - The End Is Beautiful
Click here to download podcast.
Monday night, my friend Gruno did his final broadcast of Guilty Pleasures at The Dividing Line. After 3 years, it was decided that his webcast no longer fit the format of the station. Whether he quit or was forced out is really not relevant. When you are told that your show must contain a certain percentage of a certain genre of music which you've never played, what are you going to do, not comply? And if you don't, are they going to let you stay? No. And who defines what music fits the genre? Semantics.
I, as were some others, was wondering how, for example, a 100% Beatles show might fit on a "progressive rock" internet radio station that requires at least 85% prog content (I could never make this shit up) when Gruno's show doesn't. Guess it just depends who you are. Gruno's show was always well attended (and not by other DJs just parking themselves in the chatroom), and definitely had the highest female audience. It was also the most professionally done webcast I think I've heard, you could tell he put a lot of time and effort into it, and cared about his listeners. Live on the phone interviews. Live in-studio performances. With many musicians in both progressive and non-prog bands. Always entertaining.
Guilty Pleasures, by defintion, was about music the prog fan likes, but really shouldn't admit to liking. That's what it was, what it always was. And it worked. Never claimed to be anything else (like saying you're going to play music that never gets heard on commercial radio, then filling your playlist with one of the most-played classic rock bands of all time).
So why do I care... Well, one of my early experiences with internet radio came via the Spocks Beard message board. One of the moderators did (and still does) a show called PapaJ's Matinee, at that time, on the Dividing Line. A great, FUN show. A real sense of community in the chat. By way of his show, I was turned onto some great music I wasn't familiar with. And I was also introduced to the rest of the station. Gary Sauer's show (who has since moved to ProgRock) and Gruno's were instant hits with me. And it was always more than the music. Like I said, the sense of community. I guess after all this time, I still feel a sense of ownership over there. I'll get over it.
Somehow, "community" disappeared. PapaJ left after, among other things, being accused by a member of "station management" (why does an internet radio station need a 3 member management team and a "Mission Statement"?) of continually clicking the download link for his show archive in order to "pad his stats" (like anyone has the time to do that). Nice way to treat the guy who literally put your station on the map. Who gives a flying fuck about stats! Apparently, there are some that do. That was the end of the "old" Dividing Line, things were never the same. He was the one who attracted most of us there (including, I believe, one member of "management"), he and Gruno both, with their collection of Kevin Gilbert material. He also inspired some of us to give this DJ thing a try. And in the 4 years since, a lot of friendships have been made that will last for years.
My feelings towards the station really soured after that (although, I still personally like Rene and Shawn), and time did not change my feelings about what happened. I felt like a hypocrite doing a show on a station I couldn't support emotionally. I never really said why I left either publicly or privately. Now you know.
Community has been replaced by cliques. DJ's worried about their "ratings". Only supporting certain shows and not others. It's all so petty. Internet radio is not a commercial venture. It's hardly a blip on the radar of the record companies, even to those who specialize in progressive rock. A hobby. If a group of listeners who take the time to find your station and take the time to figure out how to listen to the stream is happy with a show, and support it week after week, year after year, isn't that more important than a "format"?
Anyway, I know Gruno will be back, probably sooner than most of us think. Keep an eye on StudioGruno for news and updates. Good luck to you Wayne
Listening to "Close To The Edge" by Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe
Echolyn - Misery, Not Memory
Galleon - Three Colours
Mostly Autumn - Carpe Diem
The Urbane - Loop
The Urbane - Immaculate
RPWL - New Stars Are Born
Echolyn - Lovesick Morning
Quidam - Everything's Ended
House Of Not - Pipedream
Magic Pie - Full Circle Poetry
Metamorphosis - When Kenny Was Sad
Anathema - Flying
Satellite - Beautiful World
Xsavior - A Snake In Paradise
Karmakanic - At The Speed Of Light
Riverside - Reality Dream I
Riverside - Loose Heart
Riverside - Reality Dream II
Echolyn - The End Is Beautiful
Click here to download podcast.
Monday night, my friend Gruno did his final broadcast of Guilty Pleasures at The Dividing Line. After 3 years, it was decided that his webcast no longer fit the format of the station. Whether he quit or was forced out is really not relevant. When you are told that your show must contain a certain percentage of a certain genre of music which you've never played, what are you going to do, not comply? And if you don't, are they going to let you stay? No. And who defines what music fits the genre? Semantics.
I, as were some others, was wondering how, for example, a 100% Beatles show might fit on a "progressive rock" internet radio station that requires at least 85% prog content (I could never make this shit up) when Gruno's show doesn't. Guess it just depends who you are. Gruno's show was always well attended (and not by other DJs just parking themselves in the chatroom), and definitely had the highest female audience. It was also the most professionally done webcast I think I've heard, you could tell he put a lot of time and effort into it, and cared about his listeners. Live on the phone interviews. Live in-studio performances. With many musicians in both progressive and non-prog bands. Always entertaining.
Guilty Pleasures, by defintion, was about music the prog fan likes, but really shouldn't admit to liking. That's what it was, what it always was. And it worked. Never claimed to be anything else (like saying you're going to play music that never gets heard on commercial radio, then filling your playlist with one of the most-played classic rock bands of all time).
So why do I care... Well, one of my early experiences with internet radio came via the Spocks Beard message board. One of the moderators did (and still does) a show called PapaJ's Matinee, at that time, on the Dividing Line. A great, FUN show. A real sense of community in the chat. By way of his show, I was turned onto some great music I wasn't familiar with. And I was also introduced to the rest of the station. Gary Sauer's show (who has since moved to ProgRock) and Gruno's were instant hits with me. And it was always more than the music. Like I said, the sense of community. I guess after all this time, I still feel a sense of ownership over there. I'll get over it.
Somehow, "community" disappeared. PapaJ left after, among other things, being accused by a member of "station management" (why does an internet radio station need a 3 member management team and a "Mission Statement"?) of continually clicking the download link for his show archive in order to "pad his stats" (like anyone has the time to do that). Nice way to treat the guy who literally put your station on the map. Who gives a flying fuck about stats! Apparently, there are some that do. That was the end of the "old" Dividing Line, things were never the same. He was the one who attracted most of us there (including, I believe, one member of "management"), he and Gruno both, with their collection of Kevin Gilbert material. He also inspired some of us to give this DJ thing a try. And in the 4 years since, a lot of friendships have been made that will last for years.
My feelings towards the station really soured after that (although, I still personally like Rene and Shawn), and time did not change my feelings about what happened. I felt like a hypocrite doing a show on a station I couldn't support emotionally. I never really said why I left either publicly or privately. Now you know.
Community has been replaced by cliques. DJ's worried about their "ratings". Only supporting certain shows and not others. It's all so petty. Internet radio is not a commercial venture. It's hardly a blip on the radar of the record companies, even to those who specialize in progressive rock. A hobby. If a group of listeners who take the time to find your station and take the time to figure out how to listen to the stream is happy with a show, and support it week after week, year after year, isn't that more important than a "format"?
Anyway, I know Gruno will be back, probably sooner than most of us think. Keep an eye on StudioGruno for news and updates. Good luck to you Wayne
Listening to "Close To The Edge" by Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe
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