Re: Billboard charts

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

Ed asked--
>1) How many stations actually make use of music charts via wire service;
>2) Whether stations guage their local music selections based primarily on
>Billboard, R&R, Gavin, or Zelda the tea leaf reader?

Zelda is a favourite of mine, actually-- she's my psychic friend.
Seriously, my clients have always used the Billboard charts because they
are more on accurate about what the passives like -- R&R always seemed to
be based on the airplay claims of their reporters, whereas Billboard since
1992 has had a more reliable system (BDS) to find out what stations in top
200 markets were really playing.  Otoh, now that there has been so much
consolidation,I gather that groups PDs and group consultants have a lot of
input.  My friends at record companies say it is nearly impossible to break
a new artist these days... 

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