Seacrest Studios: The New Wave Of Media Technology

Radio stations started the new wave of media technology during the era of Industrialism. As technology evolves, the radio stations and managers adapt with the respective technologies. Radio Stations and the music industry parallel as the technology progresses. In the current era of music, people buy their music through online distribution sites such as Spotify, Apple Music and third party sites. Previously, music was sold on cassettes, compact discs, and vinyl. The one thing that seems the same is the purpose for radio, sharing music for the promotional purpose of each artist. As the radio industry progresses, new forms of distribution of music occur and simultaneously the prevalence of piracy as technology evolves with society. Wendy Threatt,

The program coordinator jobs entails the creation of the music logs, timing when each advertisements airs and deals with record representatives. Wendy Threatt runs one of Seacrest Studios in the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston. Seacrest Studios qualifies as a part of the non-profit organization the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. The organization’s goal is to boost morale for patients by allowing them to spend time in a radio station or watch on their TVs through CCTV instead of only focusing on their respective illness. Even with that, Seacrest Studios is required to an ASCAP license to play music. ASCAP is the American Society of Composers and Publishers a not-for-profit organization focusing on copyright for composers and artists. Wendy Threatt works in the industry for over thirty years and states one thing, ASCAP controls the airwaves. The organization, ASCAP, based on Stanford Law Review research, “controls the performance rights of 85 to 90 percent of popular music and 50 to 75 percent of standard or older music now being played in the United States”(ASCAP Monopoly 539). The benefits to ASCAP seem impressive for the artists but it creates obstacles for the programmers like Wendy and consumers. Obstacles include in-station performances and dealing with the licensing agreements. Everything in a radio station goes by the FCC, Federal Communication Commission and ASCAP. ASCAP helps hold

(Threatt). The digital library is for the use of only the hospitals and some of the music comes directly from Ryan Seacrest with his other radio shows. The library focuses on a niche audience, young patients. Tailoring the library occurs at all stations and it can also destroy a station. Based on a radio stations target audience one begins to tailor their work. Most programmers like working with newer popular music because the licenses are easier to obtain because the radio station becomes a benefit to agents and recording companies for promotional tools. Program coordinators use their digital libraries as a resource to design each show and the music that suffices advertisers and consumer