No more brown bags?

[adrian]

What happened to i-94's (hot939) Brown Bags to stardom contest?

If they stopped it because of the name change, then why can't they just restart it under the new name?

[Tiny Tadani]

Re: No more brown bags?

Eh, what's up Doc? I was a part of some of the first BBTS contests. It started out as a vision by AM83 KIKI's G.M. Jeff Coelho, who wanted to find some of Hawaii's best talent and showcase them on the radio and eventually get them a gig on the mainland to show what Hawaii had to offer. And then it became an album where we actually took the kids into studio to record. Yes, there were concerts... but back then it wasn't to make money... but to give back to the schools & community.

Later, when the new "Hot I-94" people came in... it got away from the kids. It started to showcase less and less of our high school talent... and more and more of the mainland groups that they'd bring in to sell tickets to the finals.

Then, it started to get sloppy as the radio station started jobbing out a lot of the staffers who put on the contest. In fact, several of the high schools would complain to me since I worked at Oceanic. That's what spurred on the "Road To Fame" competition. My boss there... Mitzi Lehano did the same thing as Jeff... she put the kids in the limelight. And it was widely successful... now using the medium of television instead of radio.

Eventually, with stringent rules on music use by ASCAP/BMI (they license the music written by songwriters & composers across the country)... the RTF contest was cancelled. To be honest, hardcore stage parents also was the reason for the end. As the promotions person for Oceanic, it was the toughest part about the whole event... parents! Sounds like little league or something, yeah?

I'm not sure how it all ended for the BBTS, because there was someone always trying to pick it up and make money with it... but it really isn't about that. So maybe someone can finish the story. Hope I gave some insight.

Tiny

[Sponge Rider]

Re: No more brown bags?

Yea, got to agree with Tiny. CC got a hold of it and messed it up for the kids. Plus the prizes were crap. Just about the cash kicked Brown Bags in the ass.

Plus, too many other contests was straining the attention span of Joe Public IMHO.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: No more brown bags?

I remember those days... of "what the heck is Brown Bags" back in the early 80's. I couldn't even give away tickets for that event.

Well Brown Bags probably went the ways like Battle of the Bands at the Civic Auditorium, and the Homegrown albums from the KKUA days.

I'm sure they'll be another. Hmmm do I get the feeling Tiny's marketing mind is up to something? Hmmmm....