Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 15, 1990 TAG: 9005150038
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRUCE BRITT LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Long
Then Raitt swept this year's Grammy Awards presentation, garnering four awards for her "Nick of Time" album and a collaboration with blues legend John Lee Hooker. During an acceptance speech, the singer thanked an unlikely source for contributing to her success: MTV's sister cable television network, VH-1.
With those thankful words, VH-1 officially made the big time. The network has struggled since 1985 to establish itself as a sort of adult MTV. And though other acts previously had publicly acknowledged VH-1's impact on their careers, Raitt's grateful speech was the network's first unabashed coup.
Julie Davidson, VH-1's senior vice president of programming, was in the audience when Raitt uttered the kind words.
"When she said `I want to thank VH-1,' we let out this sort of yelp," Davidson said. "It was really a thrill. We cared about that record and stuck with it before it got action on anyone else's charts. To hear her say all that just filled us with such joy."
Lately, there seems to be no shortage of acts willing to sing VH-1's praises. Artists like Harry Connick Jr., Kenny G, Anita Baker, Lyle Lovett, k.d. lang and others all owe something to the adult music network.
Julia Fordham is typical of the comfortably quirky acts VH-1 favors. Hailing from Britain's south coast, Fordham writes and sings eloquent, listenable ballads that combine elements of world beat, jazz and middle-of-the-road pop.
Fordham said recently that VH-1 has been a boon to her career.
"I quite happily acknowledge that VH-1 have been genuine supporters, and I respect them for that, because I don't think there's anything trite in their programming," Fordham said. "I think they have a genuine love and respect for the acts they like."
Davidson describes Fordham as "a real exciting story," a singer whose polished music and articulate lyrics rise far above the norm. The station has been a Fordham supporter since spring of 1988, when it first showed the singer's "Happy Ever After" clip. Fordham has been the focus of VH-1 travel contests and an informative special.
"She seemed to have a sense of self that impressed us," Davidson said. "We listened to the album and thought there was a lot of worthwhile music there, said in a fresh, singular way. We felt this was someone our viewers would want to know."
Patti Austin is another act who has benefited from VH-1 support. The singer spent most of the 1980s releasing lukewarmly received albums, while anonymously hawking products like Mazola and Diet Coke in television ads.
Then came "Any Other Fool," a single and video by jazz-pop saxophonist Sadao Wantanabe, featuring Austin on vocals. VH-1 placed the clip on heavy rotation, and suddenly the public was able to associate a face with the voice heard in countless ads.
Austin's latest album, "Love Is Gonna Getcha," is a crossover smash, appearing on Billboard magazine's black, adult contemporary and pop charts.
"They really helped sustain the [Watanabe] record, and that told me a lot," Austin said of VH-1. "It's probably the most important network for older pop acts around."
Not everyone shares Austin's and Fordham's glowing views of VH-1. David Nathan, rhythm and blues musicologist and writer, said the network could do better by soul-oriented acts such as Grover Washington Jr., Babyface, Howard Hewitt and Smokey Robinson.
"All those artists fit into VH-1's musical format, that adult-contemporary realm the network is based upon," Nathan said.
VH-1's Davidson said the network is exploring ways of programming more black balladry into the network's format.
"We haven't been as forceful in black music, but we have hit on artists like Regina Belle that fit comfortably," Davidson said. "But we have been trying. For instance, we were with Anita Baker from the beginning."
VH-1 was not always such a hot topic. When the station was inaugurated on New Year's Day 1985, it hoped to reach an unwieldy 25- to 49-year-old demographic audience. Toward that end, the network showed a confounding mix of soft-rock hits and clips by older artists like Tony Bennett, Julio Iglesias and Barbra Streisand.
"The programming was all over the place," Davidson said. "We'd air a Julio Iglesias clip, but a lot of us were saying inside `This isn't what I listen to. Isn't this [network] supposed to be for us?' "
Aided by market research, the network reassessed its initial plan, concentrating more on an 18- to 35-year-old demographic. To snare those younger viewers, the network began championing adult-oriented acts like Dwight Yoakam and Michael Bolton.
"We looked for themes different than teen themes," Davidson explained. "We like grown-ups singing about family, about having some experience in life. We also look for some kind of depth, not just one cut on an album."
As the network tinkered with its programming, it confused and eventually lost some viewers who viewed VH-1 as a network for yuppies. Davidson said luring those viewers back is the biggest challenge facing the network.
"There might be a perception out there that we're the Julio Iglesias station," Davidson said. "We want to make a commitment to the artists we support, and our viewers. Our viewers have very little time, and when we tell them something is very good, we want them to trust our judgment."
by CNB