Real Kato Blog: On The Radio

Can it be? A radio station that's actually tolerable?

Other than NPR, I haven't been listening to much radio lately. Most of the radio stations around here are owned by one media conglomerate or another, so we get the same lowest-common-denominator stuff on every station. We have our obligatory top-40 (105.1), classic rock (106.1), easy listening (93.9), and so on, and it's the same inoffensive stuff you'd hear on any radio station around the country. Inoffensive, that is, until you hear the same song played twenty times in one day.

They all have morning talk shows, a high-repeat playlist, and a seemingly endless stream of irritating commercials.

So it was quite a pleasant surprise to find a station recently that played music. A lot of music. And it's largely pop and alternative stuff from 1980s through today, the kind of stuff all of us artsy kids of the 1980s liked and might still like. You know, Morrissey, R.E.M., Coldplay... Today they actually played Erasure's "Victim of Love". I can't think of a single other area station that would play flamingly-gay, music-to-kill-yourself-by stuff like that. (Slightly embarrassing disclosure: I was a big fan of Erasure back in the 1980s and 1990s. I even saw them in concert. Hey, I liked their music, okay?)

The station is 100.7, "The River". It used to be a pure oldies station, but now their slogan is "It's All About the Music". They do indeed seem to be trying to live up to that.

Now of course, I'd still like to find a station that plays new pop-alternative music. I mean, I'm so horribly out of touch with the music scene these days. Maybe I just have to beg my cooler, more music-savvy friends to send me some CD recommendations...

Permalink 8 Comment

Posted by Ken in: music

Comments

Comment #1 from John C (Guest)
2006 May 18 - 6:39 am : #

You could get XM radio. Right, pay for radio. that is dumber than paying for TV (I am spikey today)

Comment #2 from Jenn (Guest)
2006 May 18 - 12:26 pm : #

I would STILL see Erasure in concert today. I've already succumbed to "my generation's music was the best you whippersnappers" syndrome.

I'm a total button stabber in the car, that poor radio never knows what hit it. Tom wanted an ipod for Christmas, he begged and begged so I finally broke down. He ripped all our cds (more of his than mine, of course) and now? Now I get to stab at the buttons on the ipod instead.

Comment #3 from MonoCerdo (Guest)
2006 May 18 - 4:24 pm : #

WOW. This is like finding gold in your toilet.

I'm jealous.

Comment #4 from Phil (Guest)
2006 May 18 - 6:39 pm : #

100.7 is for sure the most fun around here for commercial radio. I would ask you why you don't take advantage of internet radio for all its many categorized options, but I hardly ever tune in, myself. Some of my friends do. They're happy.

By the way, for non-commercial interesting public radio, try the new Carrboro public station at http://communityradio.coop/

Comment #5 from Ken (realkato)
2006 May 18 - 9:07 pm : #

Cerdo, "gold in your toilet" is a very apt description of the radio around here.

Phil, the only time I really listen to the radio at all is in my car. If I had continuous Internet access in my car, then I'd definitely listen to Internet radio.

Comment #6 from chess (Guest)
2006 May 29 - 11:58 am : #

I had XM for a few months (My car came with 3 free months) and never really got into the music stations. I listened to the talk radio. Why? New music requires some repetition to really create enjoyment and I have no real desire to hear the "top twenty pop station" ("My humps. My humps. My humps. My humps. My lovely lady lumps." Need I sing more?). My musical interests change.

I listen to XM (music off Direct TV) at work. I usually keep the music on the classical station. If I did not have the Direct TV, I would listen to the free classical stations.

I guess it is nice to have a bluegrass stations, a trance music station, show tunes! (Anyone say, Erasure? (lisp) Super!)), etc... How many times a year am I jonesing for 1950's music? (Answer: Not many.)

In my opinion, free radio has played it safe for so long and they have to create an audience to sell advertising, it really is a dead "musical" art. Where I find the truly interesting radio is in rural areas that have small signals. Locally, I can get two hours of "LOCAL" farm reports. ...Nothing like corn futures. How could this information be on a "commercial" station actually trying to make money? Wait. Oh yeah, "Stacey Keach's Twilight Zone" is getting ready to start....

Comment #7 from chess (Guest)
2006 May 29 - 12:06 pm : #

Look at this local station schedule from my area. Holy cow! It is so awful and awesome at the same time...

8:18 Obituary Report?
9:55 Commodities report?
10:30 Agritalk?

http://www.1360wlbk.com/?pageDirective=schedule

Comment #8 from Cori (Guest)
2006 May 29 - 12:25 pm : #

I love Erasure.

Comments are closed for this post.

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