The entire AI situation has become a quagmire filled with lets face it, fake music, lies and bullshit. But there is another side to it as well. Let me start by saying this was provoked by an artist who took exception to our no |AI stance. It wasn’t just the opposition, it was I wasn’t entitled to my opinion, me programming my station in such a way was a disservice, and a bunch of other uncomplimentary things about me personally.

Look, I am old school. I stopped with the sticks and stones when I was 6 years old. If it makes you feel like more of a man calling me names, Good for you. But this whole incident is because people are both one sided, and refuse to have a civilized dialogue with others. I will tell you, maybe it was just a bad day, I don’t know and I don’t care. I hold grudges. I have no problem admitting that and telling you, that you treat me like shit, don’t come looking for anything now or in the future. I don’t care if you become the biggest musical star on the planet, I won’t play your music or say your name. Do you know what, most people wouldn’t even notice. Just like now, I have thousands of artists we play, have played and will play and 1 less will not be noticed.

Now, the anger aside I want everyone to try and understand from the programming side of my stations. I have said it before I don’t care what others play, or how they do it, these are my stations, programmed the way I was trained and went to school for, and I take the experience I got between 1985 and now and use it. That’s why we went from a podcast to 2 radio stations and still dominate with listeners and submissions.

Now when it comes to AI in submissions let me ask you a question. How can I tell the difference between a song that some clown who sat down at Suno and said make me a country song about a dog and a pick up truck. Suno will give him that song in less than 2 minutes. Now lets shoot across to the other side of the spectrum, I had a long conversation with a gentleman named Danny Fournier, at Oddball Productions, a stand up gentleman and nice guy. Our discussion revolved around AI in the form of a band that had recorded something in 1995, and they used AI to separate the stems, clean up the song and remaster it. Truthfully I don’t have any issue with that. Its using the tools you have at hand to help with a project. The difference being, this song was written, the lyrics, the melody, everything and already done. AI was used as a tool, and not as a creator. There is a significant difference in that.

So now in my inbox right this minute, 703 emails await and if you assume 1 song per email, yada yada yada, you know the discussion about time involved. But think about this, when we get a song, its not easy to pick up AI right away, songs now have to be tested. When it tests it doesn’t say, the lyrics were submitted and the rest was AI, it says, 90% AI was used, or something like that. Point blank, how the hell am i supposed to know if someone said write me a song or just used it to master. Please don’t say ask them, because now we are adding another layer of emails, and to be blunt when AI first exploded onto the scene we did that. 99% of the respondents lied… no we didn’t use AI.

In the old days, we put the 45 on a turntable, if it was good we added it, if it wasn’t we didn’t. It hasn’t been like that for a very long time. I get that, and I also want to say one thing that is still the same is, like terrestrial radio, or satellite radio, online has good and bad stations. There are people doing things and broadcasting music or talk that I wouldn’t let step on my front porch. But that’s the world we have so let them do it. Just like I am doing it my way.

I have always tried to work with artists to the best of our ability. I don’t ask for anything, just treat me how you want to be treated. Not everyone has the time to stay in touch on a regular basis, and that’s probably good, as I am always behind on emails. But if you don’t like how I do things, I would hope you would at least learn what it is I am doing and why, before you go off like some kind of raving jackass. If that artist is reading it, and thinks I mean him, its not just you, because you aren’t the first and won’t be the last.

As we continue, AI is going to evolve even more and probably become a bigger issue. I won’t lie, I use it for the station in various forms. I say it as I see it, I do as I please, and I don’t apologize if someone doesn’t like my methods. You try to do this for 11 years. You may notice more and more people are stopping shows and quitting online stations. There must be a reason for it…. oh wait its not easy. The same as writing and recording a song isn’t and I will continue to support those who do just that. Create music on your own. Don’t like it.. oh well.

As far as AI, that is my stance for KB and KB Country and its all I have to say……. for now!