Chewy Gomez, KMEL, and the evil empire (Clear Channel)

My Thoughts on Chuy Gomez and KMEL

Gomez at the Fruitvale Station premiere

Rapper E-A-Ski once said in reference to KMEL... "I've had cats that just really want to say, 'If they ain't gon' support us, then why are we supporting them? Don't let them come out to the streets and the clubs." -HE SAID THIS IN 2003.* 


But, KMEL remains one of the most popular stations in the 4th largest market in the country. Despite the fact that they ceased being the "people's station" in the late 90's, and yet... "the people" keep listening. 


Recently, with the abrupt firing of Chuy Gomez, the Twitters, the street, the hood, are all collectively upset about the Bay Area icon being let go after 20 years on air, but simultaneously I promise you that there's also whispers of... "My boy Q gonna come up tho."  Or, "I'm gonna txt Sana right now and make sure she knows we still cool."


Bottom line is this: if you really care about the Bay Area community and hip-hop music, you would never support KMEL (Clear Channel). Since about 99, the station has systematically disenfranchised local artists, and helped to destroy the local music scene. Meanwhile, for a decade+ the average KMEL listener has been stuck with mostly tired, bland, homogenous playlists of the same 7 songs that they play nationwide on all their other "hip-hop and r&b" stations (thanks to ‪#‎payola‬ and politics).

RATM album cover

But (if you care to know), its actually much deeper than that. KMEL isn't just a crappy mainstream "urban" rap station. If we look into the complexity of it all, the station is actually owned by a group of right-wing evangelical conservatives from Texas  that were instrumental in supporting the Bush administrations quest for war in Iraq and Afghanistan. They even banned songs nationwide by artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy, the Dixie Chicks, and even John Lennon's "Imagine" in the lead up to these wars on their now infamous "blacklist." (editorial note: Clear Channel is controlled by Bain capital, and its failing finances are putting a squeeze on CC & KMEL as described here by Davey-D)

Boots Riley and Davey-D

How is it possible to ban classic songs nationwide? Well, in 1996, Bill Clinton, enabled the Telecommunications Act to pass (one of his many big failures in office), with this passing Clear Channel was able to gobble up almost all of the mainstream radio stations nationwide, thus controlling all the markets. A complete monopoly of how Americans would be able to listen to the radio and get information. They then dumbed it all down in order to boost their bottom line for share holders. But, it didn't stop their of course with conservative agendas creeping into every nook and cranny. Even at good 'ol KMEL. See: the firing of Bay Area radio legend Dave 'Davey D' Cook from the station in 2001 after 9/11 when he had Rep. Barbara Lee and Boots Riley of the Coup on his show to talk about the Bush administrations aspirations for war in the middle east. 


When we look at the station supposedly representing the people here in the Bay, from a "hip-hop" perspective, a youth outlook, and from a black and brown vantage point, we begin to see what KMEL and Clear Channel is all about. We begin to see (and hear) that they do not truly support local music, and certainly do not support any progressive, or conscious rap music on the air. We can claim that the audience does not want more diverse playlists because they keep listening but this is misguided. 


As a youngster when I first listened to KMEL (or KYLD), I was able to get a variety of rap sounds that spoke to many national and local issues of social inequity and injustice (Ghetto Bastard), as well as fun party jams (OPP). Today, kids grow up on those same 7 songs that proclaim "I'm different," when really its just more of the same mindless, blackface rap music. We can indeed blame rappers for putting out this homogenous, often ignorant and shallow content (I am definitely all for calling them out), but its bigger than these mainstream fish. Who is ultimately controlling the dam and polluting the water? That is the major labels, that is Clear Channel. 


Luckily, with the way music is now hosted and shared on the internet, mainstream radio is much less relevant than it once was, but it is still highly influential. This is especially true with young people, and communities of color, where folks don't always have the ease of access to the internet that many of us take for granted. Unfortunately, not everyone takes public transit or Uber's to work, or can walk, like us lucky (spoiled, #blessed) people here in San Francisco, where most people don't really listen to the radio anymore. 

Rush Limbaugh

So, just as we should not assume that radio is no longer highly influential, we also should not underestimate their political power. Clear Channel not only dominates rap radio channels, they also control the news market on rightwing political talk radio that spreads bigoted hate on the air daily with the Rush Limbaugh types (although Limbaugh has cost Clear Channel millions of dollars in sponsorships lately with sponsors dropping like flies due to his consistently hateful speech against women, gays, and people of color). 


(Long F-ing story short) I guess what I'm trying to say is that while things have gotten better lately with the internet expanding our ability to gain access to music and information, we've still got a really long way to go when one company owns most all the stations and controls what we all hear on the radio nationwide. So, if you're pissed about Chuy getting fired, step it up and DON'T LISTEN TO THE STATION ANYMORE. I'd encourage you to go even further and write them and tell them that you are no longer going to listen and WHY. Let Clear Channel know how you feel. 


Contacts -- http://www.kmel.com/pages/CONTACTUS.html

KMEL program director
donparker@clearchannel.com
KMEL asst program director
kenardkarter@clearchannel.com

[note: at the end of the day as long as vulture corporations like Clear Channel, or even worse, Bain capital, continue to control our nations airwaves and finances, we are in deep, deep, trouble. If we want changes, it starts with awareness, behavior, and participation. If you are not happy about something, speak on it publicly. Talk to friends, family, etc. Write a letter to congress, get active, get involved, get organized.]