Kodi munayamba mwadzifunsapo kuti chifukwa chiyani wailesi wamba ndiyosowa kwambiri? N’chifukwa chiyani tingamve nyimbo imodzimodziyo kambirimbiri tsiku limodzi? Kapena n'chifukwa chiyani ojambula ambiri amamveka mofanana?
Yankho likhoza kukhala m'mawu atatu: Chotsani Channel Communications.
Kwa zaka zingapo zapitazi, Clear Channel, yemwe ndi mwini wake wamkulu wa wayilesi ya AM/FM mdziko muno, akhala akukhudzidwa kangapo pazamwano wokhudza payola, mchitidwe wofuna kubweza ndalama kuti apereke airtime kwa ojambula omwe amafunidwa kwambiri ndi kampani yojambula nyimbo.
Payola ndizosaloledwa, ndipo zakhala kwazaka zambiri, koma Clear Channel ndi ena onga iwo akhala akupeza njira zozungulira izi. Malipirowa amatha kukhala akulu ngati masauzande a madola pa sabata imodzi yokha ya airtime. Chotsatira chake: magulu okhawo omwe ali ndi chithandizo chochokera ku zilembo zazikulu amatha kuseweredwa, ndipo magulu omwe sakanakwanitsa adasiyidwa pozizira. Zaka zingapo zapitazo mchitidwewu udabweranso ndi kubwezera kotero kuti othirira ndemanga angapo komanso okonda nyimbo adayamba kudandaula ndi mndandanda wamasewera odziwika bwino a wailesi. "Wailesi yamalonda idasiya kalekale kukhala gwero labwino lopezera nyimbo zatsopano," atero Stereophile's Barry Willis m'nkhani ya 2003. "Mawayilesi aku koleji, ntchito ya TV ya DMX ya TV, ndi intaneti ndizothandiza kwambiri." Zikuwoneka kuti, Clear Channel idayamba kumva kutentha, ndikuyesa kusintha nyimbo yake mwachangu.
Mwezi watha wa Meyi, Federal Communications Commission idatseka kafukufuku wautali pankhaniyi. Clear Channel ndi ma behemoth ena atatu olumikizirana adalipira $ 12.5 miliyoni pachindapusa (kungosintha m'thumba kwa iwo), ndipo adavomereza kuti sanachite cholakwika chilichonse. Mwinamwake chigonjetso chachikulu chomwe chinatulukamo chinali mgwirizano kuti Clear Channel idzafuna kuti masiteshoni ake apereke maola a 4,200 kwa ojambula odziimira okha komanso am'deralo.
Malinga ndi mgwirizanowu, mafomu adayikidwa pa intaneti kwa ojambula odziyimira pawokha kuti alembetse pa airplay. Pomaliza, zidawoneka ngati njira ina ikapangidwa kuti wailesiyi ikhale yamphamvu komanso yamitundumitundu. Koma mwezi watha, nsapato ina inagwa. Pakufunsira kwa DC 101 FM, zidawululidwa kuti ojambulawo amayenera kusaina ufulu wawo wapa digito ngati Clear Channel ikuganiza zogwiritsa ntchito nyimboyi pa intaneti. Zomwe zikutanthauza zidafotokozedwa mwachidule m'mawu a Future of Music Coalition: "Mwa kuyankhula kwina, Clear Channel ikupempha ojambula kuti asaine ufulu wake kuti alandire malipiro achifumu pamene akuwulutsa ntchito ya wojambula pa digito." Chilankhulo chofananira chapezeka pamapulogalamu ena apasiteshoni.
Jenny Toomey, mkulu wa bungwe la Future of Music Coalition ananena momveka bwino kuti: “Izi zili ngati nkhandwe ikagwidwa kachiwiri m’khola la nkhuku n’kumatsutsa kuti sayenera kulowa m’mavuto chifukwa ankasiya nkhuku zokha . . . kudya mazira onse."
Zambiri pakuwongolera malo osewerera.
Chomwe chikupangitsa izi kuipitsitsa ndichakuti Clear Channel siwosewera wamkulu, ndi behemoth yeniyeni. Chiyambireni kuchotsedwa kwa wayilesi mu 1996 Telecommunications Act, kampaniyo yatenga mphamvu makumi asanu ndi limodzi pa zana zamawayilesi apadziko lapansi.
Ndipo inde, iyi ndi Clear Channel yomwe idaletsa Dixie Chicks atalankhula motsutsana ndi Bush. Ndani adaletsa nyimbo iliyonse yandale pambuyo pa 9/11, kuphatikiza chilichonse cha Rage Against the Machine. Ndipo ndani adathandizira kuthandizira misonkhano yankhondo pokonzekera kuwukira kwa Iraq.
Koma pali chizolowezi chochulukirapo pamasewera apa. Chimene chikusonyeza zimenezi ndi njira inanso imene makampani oimba amawonongera nyimbo. Magulu a wailesi amakhudzidwa ndi kuchuluka kwa nyimbo zamasiku ano. Koma ndi ubongo, luso ndi luso la oimba zomwe zimatipangitsa kufuna kumvetsera poyamba. Mpaka titachotsa tizilombo toyambitsa matenda, ndiye kuti ojambula sangagwedezeke.
******
Alexander Billet ndi mtolankhani wanyimbo komanso womenyera ufulu wokhala ku Washington DC. Ndiwothandizira pafupipafupi ku Znet ndi Dissident Voice, ndipo adawonekeranso ku CounterPunch, Socialist Worker ndi MR Zine.
Blog yake, Rebel Frequencies, ikhoza kuwonedwa pa http://rebelfrequencies.blogspot.com, ndipo angapezeke pa [imelo ndiotetezedwa]