But as is often the case with surface beauty, it rubs off at night and sometimes doesn't stand the test of time. Record companies are critical of programmers because many put too much emphasis on call-out research. Programmers are left with little choice. When you don't have a fastball, you must rely more on your curve. Few programmers have the ability to accurately chart local sales.
Record companies have helped create the monster, now they have to deal with it.
Record companies heavily tout national sales. You can't expect a programmer to react positively to a glowing national sales picture, then not react negatively to the opposite. Sales, of course, have always been the lifeblood of record companies. If a record company chose 10 small markets that were generally reflective ethnically, demographically and psychographically of the nation as a whole, and babied 10 local stores in each market with free product, discounted merchandise and a healthy marketing package, it could alter the landscape again. Product by new acts could be showcased in these markets.