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Instead of cursing the darkness, I became a volunteer at a local public radio station. I now produce my own weekly music show. I listen almost exclusively to public radio, and to locally-produced music programs.
In this week's Soapbox, reader Mike Johnston partly blames radio consolidation for music business woes. As radio ownership has changed over the last five years, have you found yourself listening to it more or less?
I do not listen to the radio at all in my house or the car. The radio stations play too much news or commentary junk! I listen to the news stations for news, not listen to music stations for news. By the way, I pulled my tuner out of my system; I just listen to CDs. The sound is clearer, refined, and static free!
Since the radio has become dominated by Clear Channel, etc, I can't be bothered turning it on to listen to formulaic programming. Even NPR is not as good as it was many years ago. I used to live for radio now, I just listen to my own music and ignore the radio.
I have a great Fanfare FT 1 FM tuner. It's a shame that most don't know how good FM can be, and that many stations are broadcasting least common denominator quality these days. I listen a little less, but still a good amount, and the stations are different.
I was listening to less and less radio until I discovered college radio. Although I'm 40 years old, I love it. The DJs have some personality, play whatever they want, and don't over play anything. They sound genuinely interested in the music they play, rather than just pretending to be excited about it. Moreover, no commercials! When I've switched back to commercial radio, I am horrified at the amount of time spent airing commercials. College radio rocks!
Your question leaves out a most important detail: Do we listen to the radio for music programming more or less than we did five years ago? I would say that I listen to very little music on the radio, because there's so very little musical programming that even remotely interests me on commercial stations. On the other hand, I've always loved public radio and I always will. In addition, I greatly enjoy certain AM radio programs, including the late night Coast To Coast AM (I miss you, Art Bell!), as well as certain daytime AM talk radio shows, such as Bill Cunningham on 700-WLW out of Cincinnati. When I can't sleep (or I'm driving late at night), pulling in distant AM stations remains an interest of mine.
Here in Los Angeles, FM radio has dwindled to a pitiful mixture of commercials, music, and more commercials. I understand the need to pay the tremendous price of air time, but at what cost to the serious music listener? Alas, I have found a way around this barrier by subscribing, for a minimal monthly fee, to Sirus Radio. I have Sirus in my home and in my car for the uninterruped genre of music of MY choosing. I have driven cross-country with continunous, static-free sound from satellite. Perhaps if I lived in a different region of the country (say the Midwest), I wouldn't need the fine service that Sirus provides. In the meantime, American know-how and technology has made radio listening fun again.
I listen almost excluslively to KALW (SF school district/NPR/BBC/CBC) KPFA - the first and best listener sponsored in the US. KQED - "straight" NPR Its the political repression/war environment that makes these stations particularly compelling today.
Having moved from Detroit to New York City in the past five years. I was surprised to find the options in radio listening/programming to be less in New York City. It is frustrating to hear the same songs every hour. While public radio in New York is better than most. I can't be happy with only one option.
I have over 3000 albums and for some reason almost none of them get played on the radio. Obviously either I am a weirdo or the radio stations are out of touch. So why would I listen to music I don't like that has been compressed even more than the CD it came from?
I am a sucker for radio and radios. Indeed, I feel that the humble radio has been unduly neglected by both the Hi-Fi press and many audiophiles. Of course, it all depends on the quality of the source material. The CBC in Canada, PBS in the US, and the BBC in the UK all have lovely unprocessed, often, live commerical-free programs. Find a few favorite college stations and a jazz FM station or two and you're set.
I'm lucky enough to be living in an area (60 miles north of NYC)which still provides me with a few quality stations: WNYC,WFUV,WBAIto name a few.My wife and I actively support these stations. They need all the help they can get.