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It's a shame what's happened to radio

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Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#231

Post by mobilene »

jccalhoun wrote: post #168
mobilene wrote: post #138

I'm the OP, and I'm surprised to find this article on HN at all, let alone the front page! Many comments are focusing on music but the thing I tried to get across in the article was that good radio wasn't primarily about the music, it was about fun and connection. A good DJ kept you from just turning the radio off when you heard that same hit the fourth time today -- you wanted to keep listening because the DJ made i…

Small world. I'm sitting here in Terre Haute as I write this. I moved here about a decade ago so radio was already well on its way to the lowest common denominator before I got here. All I know about WBOW is that they turn into all Christmas music after Thanksgiving.

The current WBOW isn't actually connected to the OG WBOW, which was on AM at 1230. It went off the air in 2001 after the owner was convicted of some pretty awful crimes. Another company resurrected the call letters on FM some years later.

Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#232

Post by twirlip »

What if there was a radio station that didn't have commercials or corporate sponsorship?

What if there was a radio station that was entirely listener supported?

What if there was a radio station that let its volunteer DJs play whatever they wanted to play, and say whatever they wanted to say? Within FCC laws, of course.

WFMU is the answer. 1 terrestrial broadcast, 3 internet livestreams, 20 years of archives online and available for listening.

Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#233

Post by kmeisthax »

bluGill wrote: post #158
ChoGGi wrote: post #147

There was a great college radio in my city growing up, the commercial shit though; I don't want to hear the same songs everyday.

The problem is the people who advertisers want to target want to hear the same songs every day. I wouldn't be surprised if people like you want me who want more variety are a majority - but we don't spend money on things advertisers want us to buy by enough to be worth advertising to us.

If people who want more variety are the majority, I suspect the problem is just that those people don't listen to radio anyway.

Like, think about how many stations are Christmas format, and how "Christmas music" is a very regimented set of about 20-40 songs from the 1950s. To paraphrase XKCD[0], radio embarks on a massive project to carefully recreate the Baby Boomers' childhoods every December[1]. Probably because they're the only ones who still even think about using radio anymore.

Next time you listen to the radio, pay attention not to the songs, but to the goods and services being advertised next to them. That will tell you everything you need to know about who is still listening to radio.

[0] https://xkcd.com/988/

[1] don't forget.

Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#234

Post by yhager »

Tallain wrote: post #189
couchand wrote: post #177

Radio is still cool! But it's just not really on the FCC-licensed bands anymore. Independent Internet radio stations keep the spirit alive. Look around, there very well might be a vibrant local music-and-more community right in your neighborhood! Two stations I listen to regularly here in NYC: 8 Ball Radio - https://8ballradio.nyc Radio Free Brooklyn - https://www.radiofreebrooklyn.org Who else has favorites to share…

Radio Paradise ( https://radioparadise.com ) has been my go-to for years. Discovered a lot of great new music through here.

Strongly seconded. Great radio, independent, opinionated, kind, reasonable, 100% listener supported. My main go-to for music in the last couple of years (since I discovered it)

Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#235

Post by gumboshoes »

mobilene wrote: post #138

I'm the OP, and I'm surprised to find this article on HN at all, let alone the front page! Many comments are focusing on music but the thing I tried to get across in the article was that good radio wasn't primarily about the music, it was about fun and connection. A good DJ kept you from just turning the radio off when you heard that same hit the fourth time today -- you wanted to keep listening because the DJ made i…

I still work in radio and have for more than 30 years. Perhaps I'm an outlier, but I never cared about the DJs, never felt a connection, never wanted their Morning Zoos or their Tammy and Frankie in the Morning junk, with the fake callers, the forced laughs, the crappy contests, the gossip lifted from other uncredited sources. All I ever wanted was lots of unrepeated music. Or, failing that, lots of intelligent talk and news.

Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#236

Post by maccard »

rhplus wrote: post #165
maccard wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It absolutely does - allegedly there’s 6 million listeners to the biggest breakfast radio show in the UK and 4 million to the second biggest. That’s 10 million in a country of about 55 million adults.

Unfortunately, they broadcast on DAB so there’s a strong chance that two car radios next to each other are buffering differently and out of sync.

At least my car is still using FM radio - 98.2MHz

Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#237

Post by euroderf »

gumboshoes wrote: post #235
mobilene wrote: post #138

I'm the OP, and I'm surprised to find this article on HN at all, let alone the front page! Many comments are focusing on music but the thing I tried to get across in the article was that good radio wasn't primarily about the music, it was about fun and connection. A good DJ kept you from just turning the radio off when you heard that same hit the fourth time today -- you wanted to keep listening because the DJ made i…

I still work in radio and have for more than 30 years. Perhaps I'm an outlier, but I never cared about the DJs, never felt a connection, never wanted their Morning Zoos or their Tammy and Frankie in the Morning junk, with the fake callers, the forced laughs, the crappy contests, the gossip lifted from other uncredited sources. All I ever wanted was lots of unrepeated music. Or, failing that, lots of intelligent talk…

You might get all-music at night. But in the mornings radio listeners want to hear talking.

Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#238

Post by episode404 »

mobilene wrote: post #138

I'm the OP, and I'm surprised to find this article on HN at all, let alone the front page! Many comments are focusing on music but the thing I tried to get across in the article was that good radio wasn't primarily about the music, it was about fun and connection. A good DJ kept you from just turning the radio off when you heard that same hit the fourth time today -- you wanted to keep listening because the DJ made i…

Just wanted to give another opinion on this topic because I think people are being overly nostalgic about radio in this thread: For as long as I can remember I have hated radio with a passion. The constant interruption of the occasional good song, the endless nonsense-talking hosts, the unfunny jokes, the annoying ads, the same songs over and over, etc. I hate radio and I’m glad it’s gone. I don’t miss it at all! Cheers A millennial

Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#239

Post by bufordtwain »

mobilene wrote: post #138

I'm the OP, and I'm surprised to find this article on HN at all, let alone the front page! Many comments are focusing on music but the thing I tried to get across in the article was that good radio wasn't primarily about the music, it was about fun and connection. A good DJ kept you from just turning the radio off when you heard that same hit the fourth time today -- you wanted to keep listening because the DJ made i…

Lin Brehmer of WXRT Chicago was really good, he died not too long ago though. Since then I almost never turn the radio on in the car. Iggy pop does a great show on BBC radio 6 (online) and he plays good music but his many anecdotes and opinions are what really keep me listening.

Re: It's a shame what's happened to radio

#240

Post by driverdan »

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #144

Very disappointed with the US FCC's ~2020 decision to REQUIRE EMAIL for a 1920s technology (access to, via their 10yr-cycle licensing online nightmare ). I recently went to renew my legal callsign, and apparently now email is a required attribute ; if an email from them "bounces" then you get your callsign revoked. My PO Box is no longer enough for them. I don't use email anymore. Radio silence. >"Onair decorum preve…

> I don't use email anymore.

That's a choice. Why no email? Why is it so hard to have an email account for the few things that require it?

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