The Detroit tribune., 1962-12-15
negro
gin,n,itk
ruEo

I've just come from under six months of Negro "Cm
'hck Radio. And that flaftened so !;
'S II steam roller had embedded me in tho conero.~
cutters OF the Ether Jungle For to put il mildly Negro
n'"oh hadio IS putrd Pardon me- as pct th.
noiiDie TASTE out of my mouth
In Negro "Gimmick" Radio there's ,yho,os.,o -
nance on Pimmlcks, which come in wide variety usino
all sorts of lures 10 dupe the ;nrocer. ,s.a :.
aSe nn mink he's getting something when in reality
mes getting big = FAT = Nothinq
Inc radio station where worked for three wears
y now prime example of Negro "Gimmick" Radio so =
''s IS not random shouting - know whereof speak
Inc sole purpose is to exploit the poor misguided Ne
gro listener - TO use him = his organizations and even
Hs ehureh - to lul the businessman into thinking I've
sol iS guy In my pocket - this listener is mine - so
"hy spend your dollars elsewhere Coupled with this
gmy philosophy the constant barrage of low discordant
gnmlll type garbage which passes for music in Negro
uimmlcK radio daily abusing the long-sufferng listen
ei ears The end result being cold heartIess budge-
onng of the Negro listener.
Until change in programming some six months ago.
Inc station where was employed as News Director was
passable sometimes even enjoyable exponent of radio
It certainly wasn't radio its best but at least the Negro
listener wasn't constantly - shied barked at - ex-
hored caioed and pleaded to buy this or that pro-
Duct Sometimes other staff members and would ponder
the reasons for some few commercial products which we
knew to be of high cabre utilizing Gimmick" radio
In Negro "Gmmickv Radio, the premise is that the
Negro listener is not able to absorb good music The
credo being that music must be loud fast and always with
that strong pulsa'ing junglebea That's the do-ordie
formal - along with gospel music which must of a ne.
ceSSity be dscoursed on in another paragraph
No other kind of music but poor music will do -
Especially taboo the recordings of such top-noch Me-
gro artists Duke Ellington Ella Fitzgerald. Johnny
Mathis Sammy Davis and the like They sound too good
- too cultured - too talented too non-white to be
broadcast over "Gmmick" Negro Radio
The manager of the station - Uniformed on matters
n the Negro communications chameleon-lke mask of
lffability You'll find him - for instance parading
proudly before Negro church congregations You will
also find the for instance, in tavern gaily
,uyng drinks for all and sundy and drunkenly boasting
If 'the best kids on his announcing staff.
This manager in Negro "Cmmek" Radio ex-
,ibifs complete lack Of moral responsibility.
Also prime requisite in Negro "Gimmick' Radio is
''take-over" of the Negro Community Using the back
oor of publicity his station the manager gets deep
ensnared in the vital organizations such as the NAACP
he Urban League and the YMCA The leaders Of these
organizations accept any and all such offers of publicity
rom this Lord High Potentae of Negro Gimmick Radio
His detectives may seem noble, but the managers
moves are solely calculated feather his nest Each af
ton with the Negro Community is duly recorded by an
verpresent photographer hired by the radio station =
he photographs are then widely distributed to all the
ocal newspapers Then these photographs are carefully
nailed to all advertisers woudbe advertisers and other
ersons or agencies who might find it beneficial to tra-
ic in - Negro "Gimmick Radio!
The sole underlying factor is not = sincere response
Iity to help the Negro community = but rather steady
hug-chug of rank commmerciasm - Just more explol-
aon with capital ''E = Just another metnod Oh using
no Bq Daddy Image to bring more shekels = to the
ash register.
The sad thing is that many of the leaders in the or
anzaons in the Negro community recognize this chara-
an for inst what he is but degn to put up with HIM
order TO use the facilities of the radio station 10 reacn
he community - But with the many Negro newspapers
nd magazines available the ether waves OF Negro
c;mmick Radio really that necessary to Negro COM
nuny life?