Radio Redux

[ch willie]

Rock is dead--where I live. Or rather it's recycled until it's on its death legs. We're the land where pop country is king and Billy Squire is a major part of classic rock. Our radio stations reflect that or they cultivate it, even create that demand. They define music in such a limited way that you can't stand to turn on the radio. I mean after the fifth play of the day of Back in Black, who has time for any of the thousands of great songs they could be playing?

However, lately I've been listening to Lightning 100 out of Nashville. It's an indie station but a little more than that. There's no question about guitar rock being dead--it's not; it just no longer looks like what we expect. I've been turned on to a whole new world of new music, and it's inspiring. Of course the station overplays some terrible and poppy songs, but there's more good than bad music there.

[Don]

I listen to WMVY, an independent, listener supported radio station on Martha's Vineyard. I stream it in my car using Apple Carplay and listen to it over the air when I'm on Cape Cod. Blues every week night at 8, a new album every Wednesday at 9, plus the steamship report, and local news like what's going down at the PA club and who's playing locally. Lot's of great new music, lot's of guitars.

[ch willie]

That’s great, Don. I love radio and always have. It’s just that the corporations have neutered music for the masses.

[OldStrummer]

The only "terrestrial" radio I listen to these days is news/talk radio. For musical entertainment, I have multiple sources and players available that mine the enormous content online: Pandora, iHeart, Mixcloud, podcasts, and even more. I pay for some content because I like it enough to do so. Some of the providers offer music for free, with commercial breaks -- just like terrestrial radio!

[DanTheBluesMan]

That’s great, Don. I love radio and always have. It’s just that the corporations have neutered music for the masses.

Have they ever. About 30 years ago, I was interested in working in radio. Until I met some local DJs of stations that I had listened to whom were engulfed by that evil entity Clearwater. Even after checking out Emerson College's radio program in Boston, they told me that the landscape in the business had changed dramatically. DJs were rarely, if at all, given any leeway to deviate from corporate program lists. Furthermore, the field was flooded with people scrabbling for the dwindling number of positions.

When I saw a radio personality giving his 'live on location' broadcast over a store's telephone, on the wall beside the door to the break room, was when I knew radio was dead.

Don, I like the idea of that station although I probably can't get it here in NH. Back when I used to work in the Seacoast area, I used to listen to WCDQ, aka Mount Rialto radio out of Sanford, Maine, quite possibly the best terrestrial station I've ever found. Even better than WBCN back in the heyday, or pretty damn close to it. Sadly they're gone now.

[Don]

Don, I like the idea of that station although I probably can't get it here in NH. Back when I used to work in the Seacoast area, I used to listen to WCDQ, aka Mount Rialto radio out of Sanford, Maine, quite possibly the best terrestrial station I've ever found. Even better than WBCN back in the heyday, or pretty damn close to it. Sadly they're gone now.

I can't even get it here in southeastern Massachusetts (they're only 50 miles away, as the crow flies)! I stream it. It's not great for the sound quality, but at least I get to hear it.

https://mvyradio.org/

[S. Cane]

I listen to a handful of radio stations, though I have to do it through streaming phone apps as I live in a country where there are few rock stations and AOR. Luckily I can listen to those through my car's stereo system (Apple Car).

I always listen to 95.5 KLOS and 88.9 Radio Milwaukee, those are pretty good (though KLOS is slightly cliché).

[Bill Moore]

We have seldom had any decent radio in my area. In the 60's living on the ranch, I kept a transistor radio on my saddle, and when working the high country could get stations out of Arizona, and another from Las Cruces. The programming then was surf music, early soul, Beatles, Stones etc. We now have a few local stations, new country, Spanish language, (unrecognizable) programming for the kids, and a recent "hippie" station. I generally listen to them in the afternoon 2-4, their programming is blues/old rock heavy, with eclectic tunes interspersed. Thursday and Friday are hosted by DJ's. The girl on Thursday often brings her guitar and a friend to perform folky/social justice type tunes. (Their idea of harmony is to sing the same song in different keys!)
Lots of entertainment!

[Don]

I was always fortunate to live near many universities and colleges (I live 10 minutes from Providence and 45 minutes from Boston).
I'd listen to punk rock late at night, into the morning. I still sometimes listen to college radio. In fact, I listened to a cool program called "Jazz me the Blues" on WRIU (University of Rhode Island) on my drive in to work today.
I got to see a lot of shows at those colleges, too!