WHERE HAVE ALL THE SOUL MUSIC STATIONS GONE?

I realized something the other day--I miss having a good soul music station on the radio.


Back in the day we use to listen to 1580 WVKO.  It was the voice of the people in my hometown. It is now a progressive talk station.


We did have three stations that played Classic Soul, Gospel and Urban Contemporary music. Recently the classic soul and gospel stations went off the air. What we have been left with is not for moi's ears.  I don't particularly care for the play list that is primarily meant for a younger demographic.  


I have heard different reasons why the other two stations were shut down. It doesn't really matter because what we ended up with is not going to pollute the atmosphere of my household. I am glad that I have an extensive music library because a sista needs to have her daily fix.  


WVKO was more than just a soul music station. We actually connected as a community through weekly programs and sponsored events. It was definitely used as a organizing tool to help spread information on different events.  You could call into the station and receive a warm response from the DJ working on the air.  Or voice your opinion on a hot topic that had all of the community talking.  


Motivational speaker Les Brown worked at WVKO as the get your ass up out of the bed DJ. He use to have the air wave popping in the morning. 


I listen to NPR a lot because of the different shows that have grown on me. But NPR does not bump soul music on a regular basis.  Our local NPR station has a banging Sunday line up of music. Afro Pop, Diane Reeves and The Jazz Living Room fill the air of my living space.


One of the biggest problems that I have with the elimination of the other two Black radio stations is the fact that there is now only one choice left for everyone to accept.  But is it wise to totally remove the music that we created throughout the decades?  There is something about that idea that I find to be sad on one hand and a reason to reject the idea on the other. 


I know that this is not just happening in my hometown. It is a nationwide trend. Ironically, even though the changes are targeted to the listening taste of a younger listening audience, there are many folks who reject the playlist choices as being too narrow, too negative and not representative of the different style of hip-hop that actually exist. 


A radio station should be diverse in its offerings. There should be something coming across the air waves for everybody to listen to. We have so many talented artist who are not receiving the exposure that they honestly deserve.