Proud FM?

When I bought my mp3 player, one the features that i thought would be useful was FM.  I have to admit that I rarely listen to the radio but every once in a while I will try it out.  During a spell of boredom I tried to fill out the 30 preset station slots available.  After a 5 minute search I had a total of 7 (and believe me it was a stretch to find numbers six and seven).  After some time I stumbled upon 103.9fm which was playing some catchy top 40 pop music.  Desperate to add to my collection I added the station.  I listened for a short while and learned that I had found the home of Proudfm. I was curious about the station and this being the Internet age I had to check out the website. The station is catered to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Community (GLBT).  

I continued to listen to the station off as they play a wide variety of club, current and older pop music.  My problem was that I found it increasingly difficult to determine what distinguished this radio station from any other.  What made this a GLBT radio station?  The artists I assume were not exclusively part of the GLBT community? I couldn’t understand how music which many claim as being universal could be seen as GLBT-themed.  The subject matter during the typical host banter in between songs was sometimes GLBT based and sometimes not. I think the biggest indication of the stations influence in the GLBT community can be found in the advertising. It was at this point that I realized the stations best attribute is not in the music but rather in the potential to sell to an extremely specific group.  A lot of the ads to me seemed to be for products goods and services (petite clothing, cosmetic surgery, careers in massage therapy etc.), that in my opinion are based on a stereotype of the Gay community in particular.  

This subject of stereotype is perhaps the biggest issue.  I am conflicted between the idea that there should a medium through which the concerns, ideas and opinions of various groups are expressed and the belief that often these methods only seem to foster existing stereotypes about the group in question.  I have often felt this way about the television station BET.  Its audience has demands about what they want to see and hear, and there is a benefit from the ability for black people to share, express and be entertained in this manner.  At the same time as one of the only sources of exposure, I sometimes feel that it portrays a very specific experience of black people. As with any community there is not exist one singular shared experience or preference for entertainment, but as with any community it becomes difficult for minority voices to be heard.  

The difference between BET and proudfm to me is that at least in terms of music there is an ability to define the music not as black music but as urban music, and thus they are able to incorporate a wider audience of music fans.  I don’t think it can be said that there is ‘gay’ music unless its being used in a negative or stereotypical manner.  I am not sure if this differentiation exists or not but anyway I’ll keep on listening.

~ by oreogeek on March 28, 2009.