Screen grab from today’s BusRadio homepage.
From Jim Metrock:
Many of the people that worked at BusRadio are gone.
Layoffs have taken their toll.
Even the original DJs, Mat and Lucia, are gone. Incredibly one man prominently remains… Bryant James.
This singer is under contract to BusRadio. BusRadio owns a piece of this guy, heck, they may own him lock, stock, and barrel, who knows? (He lists BusRadio as his record label on at least one song.)
What we do know is BusRadio has a financial interest in Bryant James becoming a star.
Mr. James however is trying his best to avoid stardom. First, he remains on BusRadio. Maybe he has trouble getting gigs elsewhere, but BusRadio’s brand is close to dead. It isn’t a "plus" to be associated with this controversial marketing company. Second, stardom keeps getting further and further away because of the quality of his songs. Bryant’s newest song "Houston, We Have A Problem" is so juvenile and atrocious that it makes one pine for the days of James’ "SuperLove."
This fall, BusRadio is doing something painfully interesting on their web site. Normally there will be an ad for Bryant James on their home page and a child could click on the ad to hear a Bryant James song or download a song. That evidently wasn’t getting enough kids to try out Mr. James, so now when a child (or an unfortunate adult) goes to Busradio.com the new Bryant James song comes on automatically. Isn’t it bad enough that kids HAVE to hear this obscure singer day after day on their ride to and from school? Why should they be forced to hear him if they visit the BusRadio site? (One can turn the song off if they click the player control under the words "Listen Here!!")
BusRadio continues to intentionally confuse schoolchildren. Bryant James is not a regular musical artist on BusRadio. Bryant James and Lauren de Miranda another "exclusive" BusRadio artist are different than other artists. BusRadio promotes these artists on the school bus radio show and on the BusRadio website. Kids don’t fully comprehend the fact that BusRadio is trying to manufacture musical "stars." Riders should be told before every insufferable Bryant James song that there is a relationship between the radio show and the artist. There is a reason young bus riders hear callers requesting Bryant James song and that’s because BusRadio’s producer makes the decision about which requests will be aired. Of course they are going to air requests for their "investment" before other requests.
Pity the kids who are subjected to BusRadio’s advertising – both the obvious ads and the stealth ads.
From the FCC report on BusRadio:
35. We also find, as some commenters assert, that BusRadio
