With 850 radio stations in the US, radio station group owner Clear Channel Communications can boast of reaching an audience of 110 million people per week.
So, with this in mind, it’s no wonder many an entertainer seeks to score the full support of the company when launching releases, hoping to garner as much as ‘play’ as possible on its stations and reach the audiences they need to guarantee noteworthy sales.
Now, in response to its surprise release, the organisation’s Entertainment Enterprises president has weighed in on Beyonce‘s new album, and how he thinks its numbers will fare on his formats.
An interesting read below…
“Billboard: How did you react upon finding out about the sudden release of “Beyonce”?
John Sykes: Tom Poleman [Clear Channel president of national programming] and his team run such a well-oiled machine that within minutes, five “Beyonce” tracks were playing on our stations across the country, as well as on other radio groups. It happened in an instant. Radio can react instantly, since it’s a live medium.
So, Tom and his team quickly had this new music downloaded and on the air. What’s great is that he can speak to our stations so quickly; they’re not operating on islands. Even if they’re locally programmed, when we want to coordinate airplay nationally, it can happen in minutes.
Unlike a typical, previously set-up album led by one promoted single, “Beyonce” is in its own category with, as you note, multiple songs being sampled on-air upon their release.
A great thing is that while “Drunk in Love” is leading the way at R&B/hip-hop radio, we had four other tracks on rhythmic, adult R&B, mainstream top 40 and adult top 40 formats all playing simultaneously. So, our listeners had five different reasons to go out and buy “Beyonce” in its first weekend.
It was a brilliant marketing move by Beyonce, and great for radio. It was kind of like, if something happens in hard news, people go to CNN. In this case, they went to their radio station.
It feels very old-school-’60s/’70s album rock radio, when a record would come out and radio would play whatever songs various DJs were intrigued by. At the same time, it’s invigorating to see it done now in an age of PR saturation.
It’s old-school, but it’s fresh. Beyonce took a page from what the Beatles, the Rolling Stones or the Who would do: just drop an album and radio would start playing multiple cuts at one time and fans would go out and buy the record. She really set it up great for radio. It became a great weekend for radio. If she’s successful, all boats rise. It’s good for radio, it’s good for her record company. We’re excited for the next great idea an artist will have to make new music pop-culture news.
I will say that not everyone can try this. This is really reserved for the biggest names in music, because only those names that are newsworthy can make fans rush to the radio to hear them.
Following its incredibly well-received start, the long-term success of “Beyonce” will, in no small part, be decided by its presence on radio, like most albums that sell consistently over many weeks.
At the end of the day, you still need radio for people to really hear an album, for them to keep going out and buying it online or in record stores. If you look at Nielsen research, the No. 1 platform for discovering new music is still radio.
After the initial splash of release-weekend buzz and airplay, what’s Clear Channel’s plan going forward with “Beyonce”?
Now, it’ll be about songs developing on-air, and the response from fans. But, already, “Beyonce” has gotten a great early audience.
This is a win-win for all parties. It’s a tribute to the music that Beyonce put out, her incredible career, and radio, because we’re able to immediately connect with an innovative marketing idea and get music to Beyonce’s fans.
We love the fact that artists are coming up with these brilliant ideas that can create excitement. That’s what the music business is all about.”
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Beyonce coming for single slayage NEXT! She just won’t let her foot off these bxtches necks!!! kiiiiii
SEETHE in 5, 4 ,3, 2, 1….. LOOOOOOL
So…
In that case, I guess I should just expect to be bald for the next year or so.
Ok.
🙁
You can see where this is heading when it comes to awards she will just stuck in the black category. Look on the section they’re playing her in.
Queen B slaying all these basic ass b******.
EVERYONE and their faves should expect to be bald for the next two years 😉
I see number 1 singles, ANOTHER grammy record, LEGENDARY award show and promo performances… 🙂 🙂
This will be an EPIC New Year chile!
@Slay Hive it definitely will be. I see her breaking her own Grammy record for most Grammys won in a night
@BeyHiveMinaj
hey hun *waves*
😉
@Slay Hive
Sis,where were you? Lmao lovebird got replaced by another troll with the same name
Hi, Jared I miss yo sis.
Slay Hive, I love you.
The Queen Is Beautiful. Love Beyonce!
I was out last couple of nights :). I’m trying to recover from last night! I almost broke my back, twerking to bowdown/***flawless looooooool
Replaced?, what about dead? loooool kii just joking 😉
@Stephy
You are too sweet *blows kisses*
Hahaha bow down/flawless just gets anyone turned up. I don’t blame you lol and no one knows where the real lovebird went. Some troll just showed up out of the blue one day trolling and even dragging her own faves,now she stans for Amanda Bynes. Coincidence?
No coincidence chile. Hoebird just wants attention. He is mentally unstable, depressed and borderline suicidal! LOOOOL
Lmao it obviously ain’t the real lovebird kiii it’s probably Amanda Bynes lol we all know she’s the only one who stans for that psychotic b****,you could tell by erasing a few comments
*reading f*** autocorrect
Oh, I pay that Psychotic Bynes bxtch, no attention! She is the epitome of pressed lool
Seriously pressed. She always comes for beyonce and blue ivy’s looks. I can understand being pressed at beyonce but at a baby? Look at your life…
LOOOL She’s just miserable. Beyonce has that effect on alot of girls 😉
Look at these BeyBugs yapping away while Rihanna counts her tour money.
@Jared
Lol.
@TrashHive_Garbaj @Slave_Hive
Keep the name of the Queen out of your mothafuckin mouth. You b****** needs to bow down to the REAL Queen. At least Fakebird finally decided to stan to Queen Amanda.
@Slay Hive too many girls,like whut,Sybil and Kate Middleton
@FentySoSnatched nobody mentioned rihanna. Why don’t you tell her to step up her game since beyonce outsold her in 5 days
@DrunkieBynes what queen? Even Lindsey Logan slays that lunatic
Target apparently change their mind! Freaking a-holes! I just bought 2 copies from Starbucks and one from Target! Who run this mutha?! KING :)))
Lovebird couldn’t stand the reality that these fake ass popstars are running the music industry.
@Slave_Hive Amanda is the Queen of the World and the Lindsay is the Princess. Have several seats and go get a life.
@BeyHive_Minaj
“Why don’t you tell her to step up her game since beyonce outsold her in 5 days”
Kii No need to tell them. They already know. Rihject is probably in a studio now, preparing her next “single”, because that’s the only way people will go and buy her album. looool
@SchizoBynes
You have now been the awarded the title of “Most Delusional commenter” on this site. BYE
Lindsey>>>>>Amanda
King will have a great era, regardless of what happens with radio! I just got 2 physical copies of the album at Starbucks (1 will be a Christmas present for my cousin)! Thank God I didn’t have to find a Walmart! I can’t wait to show my family all these Bey videos.
@Slay_Hive @Bey hive minaj
That was the real lovebird. He is leaving on the 23rd. SO he was having fun shading everyone including his favs.
Queen coming to slayy
Btw, I only saw 1 album left at the Starbucks I went to! The guy behind the counter didn’t know about that Bey hurricane and seem surprised that it was selling out so quickly. If you need to pick up a copy, you may want to move fast!
@Hivy yeah,I remember him saying that. I didn’t actually believe it at first
@HIVY
That pyscho bxtch isn’t going anywhere. That means she will create a new account. She feels stupid for shading Beyonce all year, only to witness her slay her faves EFFORTLESSLY.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see another bandwagon Hive account soon 😉
I see the album moving big numbers, but I don’t see a number one single tbh. There’s a potential candidate or two, but only time will tell.
“Why don’t you tell her to step up her game since beyonce outsold her in 5 days”
Rihject and her generic singles have really made people THINK they know what a hit sounds like smh
“but I don’t see a number one single tbh.”
Rihject and her generic singles have really made people THINK they know what a hit sounds like smh
*correction 😉
@Slay Hive exactly. I love rihanna,but the navy thinks that they have every right to shade bey when the only weapon they have is her number 1 singles,some which aren’t even hers. Like the monster. Seeing the navy shade the hive and brag about a song which isn’t even hers,nor do they care to know the true meaning behind it(they probably just like it cause rihanna is on it) is annoying as hell.
Well if Rihject has 13 #1’s , Beyonce has 9! loool
Body Party was voted the 4th best song of the year by TIME MAGAZINE pls report that 🙂
Beyonce is boring now and the hype is fizzling, sorry not sorry!!!
Queen. Im ready for the next step.
@Slay Hive and at least they are all hers
@CiaraStan We don’t give a f***
Drunk in love is already smashing tho. it number 6 0r 5 on iTunes.
@Hivy I really hope it goes to number1 on the charts. We already destroyed the haters on that “she’s too scared to drop an album” shade,now it would be sweeter if we finished them off with the “she will never see another number 1” shade
F*** you ugly @PeeHive_Garbaj
Death@ a cierro fan using the words “boring” and “fizzle”
good f***** BYE
Awww,I struck a nerve
-“Drunk In love” Has The Potential To be a #1 Hit in R&B/Urban Charts, And “Rocket” can be a Good Promo Single, 2nd Option Will be “Mine”.
-“XO” and “BLOW” have Potential to be POP Hits, maybe top 10 or Something, also “Pretty Hurts”.
– “Blue” can Close The Era.
B**** has a Winning Songs in This Album, If she has it together with no F*** Ups From Her part, she can FINALLY get a HIT after 5 Years without a Single Hit.
I Like This Album, Can’t lie, No complains, maybe An Extra “YAWN” at her having a Clear Channel Deal like the rest of the other Girls.
@POP won’t argue with neither a Rapid Bey stan nor a Ciara Stan, S*** is repetitive as hell.
@POP
Drunk in Love really has potential. This situation is the same as SL and IWAB. SL dwarfed IWAB chances to be number 1. XO is a slow hit from what I can tell. It is a grower song like Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok” But urban is eating up DIL and It’s doing very good on radio. XO is doing good on radio too but as I said it will be a slow hit.
LOL ALL THE SINGLES ARE FLOPPING ON ITUNES LOL
NO HITS, THIS ALBUM WILL BE 4CLOSURE PART 2 BY THIS TIME NEXT MONTH LMAO
you are all lame as hell….smh at you goffy asses. beyonce music is not good at all u buch of shi!tty cornball lame ass b******
bunch of bandwagon h***
I think Drunk in Love will do well on urban radio. I think it will do well but not as well as Love on Top. The other singles on her album Idk bout that; I can’t say… I really believe if her album was a “normal” album instead of a video anthropology album I don’t think it would have been this successful. Many ppl was intrigued on how she dropped it and the hype surrounding the album so they went out and brought it… you gotta give her credit for knowing how to sell an album though! But whats gonna really say alot is those singles and how it performs on radio as well as the longevity of the album…
SHE IS LEGEND!!!!
Beyonce SERVES AND ALL THE HATERS AFE MAD!! GET OVER IT & Buy a COPY!!
I believe the singles “XO” will take some time to take off but in the end it’ll do good both in the states and worldwide. It’s happened with a lot of smash hits.
I believe “XO” will***