Color-Coded Rodeo

Leroy Shafer would say no. "This year it's hard to tell which of our shows is the heritage show," he says. The advent of multiple slates featuring Latino and African-American artists suggests the extreme success of the Go Tejano and Black Go Texan nights. Depending on how you see it, it might demonstrate that the idea of ethnic-specific programming may be a dated one.

"Our worst time [for programming] is when music is very segmented," says Shafer. Crossover artists with wide appeal, such as Destiny's Child (performing on March 1, the final Friday night of the rodeo), make the marketers' job much easier. The computers, communities and the bottom line all arrive at the same conclusion.

Shafer wants people to check their cynicism at the door. For him, the entertainment at the rodeo pulls people together. "It's a win-win situation, for the rodeo, for the artists and for the public."