Sunday, June 18, 2006

Dixie refuses to forgive the Chicks

How smart is it to pi$$ down the back of your core audience?

The Dixie Chicks will continue their struggle to figure out where their own Mason-Dixon Line lies on a map of America's arenas.

The reason is that ticket sales for their upcoming road run, the Accidents & Accusations Tour, have not gone as expected; in many Southern states and Midwest markets, the Chicks have not been forgiven for perceived political sins of the past. Industry watchers say some radio stations are extending their boycott of the group's recordings to include advertising bans for Dixie Chicks concerts.

"Obviously there are political overtones to this as well," says Gary Bongiovanni, editor of Pollstar, the concert industry trade publication. "It personally bothers me when I hear that two country stations in Atlanta have refused to accept advertising for the show at Philips Arena, which at this point is not selling well. These shows are in September, so I think it's a little early to be panicking."

Last I looked Berkeley wasn't buying a lot of C&W.

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