College stations can play obscure, eclectic music because they don't face those pressures. As a result, an unknown act that doesn't have a chance of getting airplay on a commercial station could get played on a college station and really catch on. One of the beautiful things about college radio . No advertisers are going to cancel. Both major and independent record labels spend thousands of dollars each year promoting bands on college radio stations because there are tens of thousands of students tuned in to college stations on campuses all over the United States.
People hear the record on college radio stations, then hopefully they'll go out and buy it.
Airplay gives some development to the band. Simon's strategy works. Two of the bands he promotes, Jesus Lizard and Home are in the Top 10 of college radio charts. We compile the information and publish it on our Web site, in our weekly trade publication and in our monthly consumer magazine. Richardson is assistant manager of Vinyl Fever, one of the largest independent record stores in Florida.