Satellite killed the Radio Star

[Stormborn]

HEAVY SIGH. My favorite radio station, that I have followed all over the dial for the last 10-15 years from the days when it was a tiny little indy station that you had to hold the radio just right to hear all the way to the days when it was the biggest station in town and one of the biggest alt.rock stations in the nation, is dead. People showed up for work on Tuesday and were told they were fired. They started playing Sports Talk that afternoon. There are two things I hate on the radio: excessive talk and sports. Actually, I dont care for either of those things in any format.

The ratings had been slipping, and they got moved to a weaker station by "The Evil Empire" (as they called the Radio Conglomerate back in the good old days) but we had no signs that there were going to just go poof.

The news article suggests that the problem for this station, like many others that dont just play "Pop" or "Top 40" is Satellite Radio, which I dont really care enough about to invest in. I just want somethign to listen to on the way to and from work/errands/etc.

HEAVY SIGH

 

[Shemeska]

I've got XM radio, and I've got it because Raleigh NC is a wasteland of decent radio stations. Half the stations here have twiddled with their format in the last year, and the only decent modern rock station in the area now changed format to one or two new songs hidden in a flood of Van Halen and ACDC and Journey.

Two weeks of listening to ancient 70s/80's rock and wanting to scream because they used to play decent 90s and modern stuff, I got Sat radio. I then promptly mailed a photograph of me smiling next to the installed Sat radio to the offices of the formerly decent radio station along with a note of 'I'm only doing this because you suck now. Enjoy watching your ratings go down the drain'.

It is worth the investment in the equipment and the subscription just to be able to choose what you're listening to. Plus, XM will stream over the net, so I can listen at work.

 

[Aurora]

I then promptly mailed a photograph of me smiling next to the installed Sat radio to the offices of the formerly decent radio station along with a note of 'I'm only doing this because you suck now. Enjoy watching your ratings go down the drain'.

That is flipping hilarious.

 

[Aeson]

Let's see the picture.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

One of my favorite stations, HITZ 94 (mix of 80s, 90s and new songs) went kaput and went to oldies music. GRR. At least I still have WEND out of Charlotte who plays new rock/alternative rock and I can have it stream over the 'net.

I hate it when a radio station changes format suddenly with little warning (a "countdown" about a few hours before the switchover one early AM) was all I had..... Now I have to find something to put in that preset in the car.....

 

[xmanii]

I then promptly mailed a photograph of me smiling next to the installed Sat radio to the offices of the formerly decent radio station along with a note of 'I'm only doing this because you suck now. Enjoy watching your ratings go down the drain'.

LOL

 

[trancejeremy]

Well, I think the trouble is with stations that do play Top 40 stuff (no offense, but supposed "alt" rock is about as top 40 as it gets, and has been since the mid 90s), which people can get anywhere (like via Satelite or TV), because it's national.

As opposed to more local stuff like sports, which can only be gotten locally.

The really indie stuff is probably on public radio stations, or low rent automated ones. Which don't have to worry about ratings to stay in business, because they tend to be non-profit.

And also, as pop music migrates to Sat. radio, its pushing out the niche music (which Sat. Music was largely started for).

 

[Xyanthon]

On my recent sojurn back to my hometown in Missouri, I was dismayed to find that all of my favorite radio stations had disappeared and now pretty much EVERY station on the dial was classic rock or country. The modern rock/alt rock stations seemed to have disappeared. Well, at least I'm a big NPR fan because that was about the only thing I could stand. I am hoping that this is not a trend. However, before I left the states a year ago, I had been contemplating satelite radio because of all of the varieties of music it offered. It looks like I'll probably go that way when I get back.

 

[Jesus_marley]

You wanna talk about a surreal experience.....

When I was a teenager, I had this habit of sleeping with the radio on. The station that I listened to, was an (GASP!) AM rock station known as 680 CFDR, which then changed to 780 on the dial. Well, One night I went to bed listening to awesome music and in the morning I awoke to the most unholy caterwauling that a person could ever be subjected to. At some point in the night the station, without any warning whatsoever changed their format to COUNTRY!
It was at that point that I lost all faith in radio. At least until I moved out west and found 99.3 FM in Vancouver.

 

[grimwell]

I grew up in Michigan, moved to LA, then to Chicago, and then back home to Michigan (and now I'm moving to San Diego).

Radio sucked in the 80's in Michigan (West side). All 70's rock, country, and pop schlock. Radio sucked in LA with the exception of KROQ 106.7 who had the nerve to play a lot of eclectic music, from punk, to new wave, to alternative, to rock, to whatever they seemed to find and like. MTV would literally steal band ideas in the 90's from KROQ (and probably still does). They have an audio stream. In Chicago, radio sucked. It was a real let down because I figured moving from one major market to another should get me similar stations. Moving back to Michigan after the corporate takeovers the stations suck more and play country or pop schlock -- but one little renegade station is still 'indy' and they play a mix of classic rock and pure, unadulterated Metal. Right now I'm hearing George Thorogood, before that it was Dokken. Last night I heard some Slayer, Maiden, Metallica (pre-sellout), WASP, and more crazy stuff. I'm an old metal head so I can easily tolerate the classic rock for an injection of metal. WZUU 92.3 -- they also have streaming.

I consider myself lucky to have found a few diamonds in the rough. That said, I had XM Radio when I had a long commute to work so I could grab some good music. I LOVED Fungus 53 (punk). Loved it. My brother has Sirius, and while I couldn't find a punk channel in their mix, it was much better than local radio.

For the last year I've worked at home in my office. MP3's for the win in that case.

Wow, long post for me to essentially say "Yeah, Satellite rules!" eh?