Pete Fisher Strikes Again

[Jack Stoner]

I may be wrong and I'm taking it the wrong way but reading the latest article in the on-line Nashville Tennessean it would seem Pete Fisher is saying we won't hear the "old timers" if and when the Opry is syndicated.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>
Radio consultant and programmer Bob Moody says large syndicators, which target top market stations with their programs, may want a degree of creative control, fearful that older artists will clash with the hit country played during the day.

''Most major market radio stations won't play George Jones and Merle Haggard,'' Moody said. ''So these people are all of a sudden going to play Stonewall Jackson and Ray Pillow?''

Opry general manager Pete Fisher said Monday that won't happen.

''We want to control how we tell the Opry story,' he said. ''The Opry controls the programming on CMT, and I would expect when we syndicate that we would maintain that control.''</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Dave Robbins]

"The Opry controls the programming on CMT...." What?... Since when?... When did the Opry and CMT ever have anything to do with each other aside from recently being carried on the same station (no thanks to TNN!)? Am I missing somethng here? When was the last time you saw a Jack Green video? Bill Anderson? From what I've seen on CMT I would hardly recognize as having "any" connection to the Opry!
Maybe that should have read MTV controls the programming on CMT... that I could swallow a whole better!

Dave

[Dave Burr]

Dave R.,

I think he's saying that the Opry controls the programming of the televised portion of the Opry on CMT.

Respectfully,
Dave Burr

[Jim Phelps]

Definitely "Murder on Music Row".

[Janice Brooks]

Check the comments I made in the other thread about the program directer in Hartford Ct.

I think folks who see it live will get the full cast options but if you arn't local you get whatever managment decides.

Also if Clear Channel or Westwood One would get the syndication rights would they make
it mandetory or optionel to pick up the programing.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

[Dave Robbins]

I have to admit, I'm probably no more of a fan of Buchannan and Fisher than I am Gaylord, having been around the Opry for nearly 10 years. Try as they may, I don't feel their decisions have always been in the best interest of the Opry or Opry artist, as has been talked about often backstage. They may nice boys, but to me they just seem to be merely "hatchet" men for Gaylord. What's that ol' saying about the leaves not falling far from the tree? Somehow I don't think that Roy Accuf or even Hal Durham would aprove. The Opry has survived a long, long time. Artist have come and artist have gone over it's lifetime. It seems strange to me that the survival of the Opry has really only become a "serious" issue within recent years. The threat of the trend towards more of a rock-n-roll "style" seems to be the adversary of the Opry and traditional, classic, or country (what ever you prefer to call it)more so than anything. Those who grew up listening to country and the Opry tend to want it to stay the same. But, those who grew up listenig to rock-n-roll seem to want it to change more to that type of music that they listened to while they were growing up. When they were kids, they had no trouble liking rock and staying away from country. They listened to "rock" radio stations and those who preferred country listened to country stations. Each preferred their own music and stayed away from the other. Now days those who grew up on country want it to stay the same and those who listened to rock want it to change. Why does country music have to become a "one size fits all" type of music in order to make those who don't like country in the first place happy?

Dave

[Buddy Carter]

Money.

[Joe Casey]

Dave great comment.It is for certain that people who actually love Country Music are not involve with the decisions and directions it is going..Nice to see more steelers getting studio work ,I just wish they would give them something to play.And leave it on the cuts when it hit's major market airplay.The "one size fits all" is a great comment and true to the bone..Trouble is Country Lovers are being eliminated with their fits all mentality.;

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CJC

[Dave Robbins]

You have to remember Gaylord didn't become involved because of any love for "Country Music!" (would you believe dress it up and sell it?) I doubt Colin Reed shares any love for it either. Anybody who believes that Colin Reed has the good of Country Music, WSM or the Grand Ol' Opry at heart is "fartin' in the wind!" I think that Gaylord's track record speaks for itself, let alone the fact that some time back in one of the world business type newspapers Gaylord's was listed as one of the worlds top ten "worst ran businesses in the world!" Like I said, their track record speaks for itself. Besides, they are taking a direction towards the Hotel business now, so what do you think they will want to do with their country music holdings once they are in full swing with trying to make money in the Hotels? They said they lost 1.5 million with WSM last year, but I wonder how much they invested into it? They didn't seem to mind paying $80,000 just to get their name listed on the arena down town. Does that sound like a good investment to you?....Remeber, "one of the top ten worst ran businesses in the world!
Gee thanks Gaylord, what did we ever do to deserve you?

Dave

[Ron Page]

Okay, Pete. So don't play Haggard, Jones, Stonewall, or whomever. But please, please play some real country music for a change. And no more bumping Dale Watson off the TV portion for 11-year-old toddlers. #%!@&!

Reading this makes me glad I no longer get CMT.



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HagFan