29 September 2004

David Hasselhof - Rock Star?

When I was studying in Paris ten years ago, I had a little clock-radio that I listened to in my no-frills dorm room. I had a Discman (I was on the cutting edge back then!), but I have always liked listening to the radio and it really improved my language skills to listen to those French DJs.

The station I listened to was a random pop station that, for the most part, played awful music. However, they also played a whole lot of French pop music. I didn't think about it at the time, but a couple of months ago I read that The Voice of America was encountering problems in France because of a rule that a certain percentage (around 50%) of every broadcast must be in French.

I didn't follow up on the story, but today I read that some German politicians want to introduce a bill that would require something like that here. (article) Apparently, only about 10% of music played on the radio here in Germany is actually in German.

I don't doubt it. I don't listen to the radio much these days, but when I was listening to Bayern 3 (I have a crappy clock-radio that barely gets any station) a few months ago, I very seldom heard a song in German... mostly they just played crappy American pop or hip-hop.

I think that is too bad. I have discovered some pretty decent German bands that sing in German and think it would be doing everyone a favor if more bands like these had success here in Germany.

I mean seriously... I read that one of the biggest music personalities ever imported from the US to Germany is David Hasselhof!! Now, if that fact isn't just screaming out for some native musicians to have some success here then I don't know what is!

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