Industry Profile
A candid conversation with: Chris Siciliano, Radio Promotions Manager for Virgin Records
Words:  Marshall Dickson

REAX:  Chris, when someone hears a song on the radio, they tend to think the station picked a track from the band's new record and just started playing it.  Of course, there is much more that goes on behind the scenes before a new single makes it onto the airwaves.  Care to elaborate?
Chris Siciliano:  Quite a lot more is put into deciding what goes to radio 99 of the time.  With developing artists, it might be our only shot.  Some songs, such a Sick Puppies “All the Same” have a viral buzz, so it makes sense to go with what’s already generating interest.  Usually, we have internal discussions with A&R, the U.K. arm of our company, and even do testing with listeners to gauge which song gets the best reaction. Obviously, the band also has a say in what we go with as well.

REAX:  What is your role in helping developing artists break out, and can you give advice to a band looking for radio airplay without a major distribution deal?
CS:  My job is basically garnering as much exposure for Virgin artists as possible. Different stations look for different things.  I get the programming staff to spend time with the music and the band, provide compelling information on how the record is doing at other stations, at retail, the buzz on the Internet and also overseas.  The hard thing about radio now is that space is tighter than ever before, and less people decide what makes on.  Ten years ago, a programmer in a smaller market could put a song on the air that was unknown if he/she believed in it.  Now, that is really not the case & getting your music on a local station can be very difficult, but there are ways of getting it done.  Many stations have local (music) shows, or run contests for the opening slots on a national act’s concert.  Getting all your friends to call the station to bug a DJ will not get anything done, as the DJ has to play what has been already scheduled for him, but finding someone at the station to champion your record certainly helps.  If you are selling out shows at your local club and moving a ton of CDs in the market, the station will in most cases take notice.

REAX:  Listening to Internet radio has become a source of music entertainment for people who are chained to a desk or trapped in cubicle farms all day.  Do you see a future where the free terrestrial radio as we know it today becomes a dinosaur to subscription based satellite feeds?
CS:  Free radio will always be around.  There are tons of choices now for listeners: HD radio, Internet streams, satellite feeds.  The key is to provide compelling programming on a local level and I think Internet radio hasn't gotten there yet.  I have an iPod and can listen to whatever I want, but I still need to be looped into what is going on in my city.  Until you can get Internet radio in the car or on your boom box at the pool, it is going to be niche.  What they are trying with HD radio is very exciting.  I just hope that it gets a fair show, as the amount of music that can be channeled is huge.

REAX:  As a seasoned Radio Promotions Manager, you have pushed records for many different labels & worked with a plethora of artists over the span of your career.  Who are some you feel your efforts have directly benefited, and share with me a memorable experience or three.
CS:  Wow, tough question!  I consider myself part of a team, so all my accomplishments are shared.  But having said that, I think helping to break Rage Against the Machine was one of my fave experiences. The label put them up in a house across the street from me in Atlanta while they were recording the first record.  We got to be good friends and talked a lot about how to best take the band to the next level.  Getting beat up by (Screaming Trees’ singer) Mark Lannegan also ranks up there!  More recently, breaking 30 Seconds to Mars was a high point for me personally.  This was a band that had everything going against them: an actor trying to make music.  Nobody cared that Jared (Leto) was a musician who happened upon acting.  There were a ton of hurdles to cross over, but now the band has a million selling record and the biggest modern rock song in the history of the format.