Poll: Is radio still relevant to you?

[GrimTuesday]

my previous two jobs allowed me to listen to whatever I wanted...so when my favorite talk show( I have been my own music provider for years)ended...and subsequently became a podcast...I listened to that too...so radio was gone. But then I just got a job where officially we are not allowed to wear headphones and listen to our own music but can play background radio. So there is this long running alternative radio station( I cannot stand pop music for the most part..or classic rock, or new rock) which is as annoying in it's repetitive playing of only album singles chosen back in the day when corporations still had sway. So my co worker told me about the same station playing local as in Pacific Northwest indie music. Right off the bat this was interesting( all genres, punk, electro, rap, rock, cutesy I am a girl empowered music) and so that is always my choice to listen to...so now I DO listen to radio...AM at that.

I must inquire what station you speak of, the only thing I can think of is 94.7's satellite channel, but for some reason I'm thinking I heard they had an AM station.

I listen to baseball on the radio. Not only is it one of the best ways to take in a game (the only better ways is to actually go to a game or have a dedicated channel) but it also takes me back to my youth when me and my brother would stay up late listening to Dave Niehaus[footnote]My oh my, rest in peace.[/footnote] call the Mariners games.

I also listen to some of the main alternative station but that's just because its the lesser of the evils.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

Radio? That's like Pandora right? I listen to Pandora all the time, don't what you guys are talking about "one or two channels" or "talk radio". I'm confused, next thing you're going to tell me that TV isn't YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, and/or The Pirate Bay...

 

[Tiger Sora]

Well other than that my radio station is now also playing 90's music. I still love the radio. Though I need to find a new radio station, classic rock only goes to the 80's. And my station can't commit to that fact anymore.

 

[Bearsheep]

A few things on sirius xm I still tune into
Side note I'm pretty sure internet killed the video star.

 

[Duck Sandwich]

I listen to radio mainly for the news and entertaining spoken bits - and to a lesser extent, finding new songs to listen to. I also like to listen to the radio while playing Avadon (a PC game that has no music).

The main reason radio is relevant to me is because I have a college diploma in Radio Broadcasting and I'm trying (and failing) to get a job at a radio station (and so are thousands of radio grads all across Canada).

The radio station I've been listening to since I got my new job last month was entertaining at first, but lately I find myself switching to my own music more often because either there's an annoying commercial on-air, or there's some depressingly boring song playing. Their morning show featured talking bit focused on news stories that usually involve genitalia are getting old. Hear a few, and you've pretty much heard them all. Not to mention they'll play "Best of" shows whenever the morning hosts are on vacation or doing some remote promotion thingy.

Spoiler: You might find the following examples of news stories somewhat disturbing

(ie: some dude accidentally shot himself in the dick, or some guy ejaculating into a cup of yogurt and giving it to his female co-worker)

People in the radio industry's (college professors, announcers, etc.) opinions are split. Half of them will tell you "the radio industry's dying." The other half will tell you "Yeah, radio's been "dying" for decades now. Radio's still going strong."

 

[Betancore]

I'm on the radio. Haha. People still listen to us, but probably only because they can stream it online. I know a lot of people who actually don't own a radio anymore, except maybe when it comes with their iPod dock or their alarm clock. I remember back before our radio station had an online stream option, my sister would go down to the car and listen on the car radio.

I don't really listen to much radio myself, unless I really bored, late at night, and can't be bothered turning my computer on. Sometimes people talk about interesting things. But honestly, I prefer my own music.

 

[CrashBang]

I hate radio. I've got hundreds of CDs in the car and just as much on my laptop so why would I listen to DJs making small talk and bad chart music? I really don't get it. I get all my music info from reliable sources like Rock Sound magazine and I don't need to take the radio's advice.

 

[AngryMongoose]

I don't listen to live radio, though I do listen to some Radio 4 on iPlayer.

If I ever get a car, I'll listen to it there.

Briefly considered using Radio 4 news or a radio podcast as an alarm, but it seemed like alot of effort.

 

[Alasdair Macleod]

I listen to BBC Radio 3 regularly as well as Radio 4-extra and Classic FM.

Podcasts are utterly irrelevant as far as I am concerned. They rarely contain anything that matters to me and when they do it could be delivered just as effectively through a coherent and concise written article.

 

[Soviet Steve]

I listen to radio, mainly for news or debate. I use radio a lot more than television, as when I'm home I prefer picking my own content on the web rather than sift through the terrible terrible programming that has been in constant decline since around 2003 and is still going downwards from what I've heard.

 

[Cerrida]

Music on the radio has gotten repetetive and I have no reliable way to listen to my mp3s in my car, so I end up listening to talk radio. There are some really good opinion and political shows syndicated around here. I keep forgetting about podcasts by the time I get home and usually listen to Pandora or my own music.

 

[AstylahAthrys]

Nope. I prefer podcasts and listening to my own music, thank you very much. No commercials, no local DJs pretending they're witty, and no garbage music.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

I have to say I'm quite impressed with the poll, over 50% of people saying radio is still something they regularly listen to. I'd have to suggest that if you asked a non gaming, non-net savvy group, the numbers would be far higher.

I used to listen to some US comedy radio stations when I discovered them online, only to find out they've got about 20 or so clips sat on rotation with ads between, 24/7.

I do think the BBC radio stations, despite being criticised for using TV licence money to fund them, are very good in general, and worth it.

It's especially good to see what'll be the next big TV comedy, as Little Britain, Mitchell and Webb, Would I Lie to You and so many more all started out on radio first.

Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci, Stewart Lee, Richard Herring and so many more influential comics all got breaks on radio, as it's so much cheaper and less of a risk to offer someone new a few half hour spots to fill.

It's still happening, with Miranda Hart, Rhod Gilbert, Josie Long, Andy Zaltzman, Paul Sinha, Sarah Millican, and many others getting a series on radio before being either snapped up for TV, or at least getting guest spots on panel shows.

I guess I'm saying there's lots more to radio than just the top 20 on repeat

 

[aba1]

A thought just occured after posting that.

If the younger demographics are not listening to radio so much, how are the marketing people going to convince them to listen to what they 'should' be listening to?

Is it not going to get harder and harder to essentially forcefeed people bands and artists?

I think that's a very good thing btw, having a hundred mildly famous, reasonably well off bands is a much better situation than 5 super rich ones being played on rotation.

What annoyed me about radio when I worked in places that played it, was there'd be a playlist of 20 or so songs and that's all you'd hear on repeat all day every day until the next week's new releases, where 2 or 3 would be swapped out for new ones.

ohhhh god last year the girl I worked with liked the radio and well this ^ I hate that so much by the half way point I couldn't stand any of the music I mean I wasn't all that into any of it to begin with but jeez even now a year later its the same god damn music playing. Oddly the thing I like most about the radio is the commentary there witty banter is nice in the morning to listen to now if only there was some good music outside all the oldies. They need to get rid of all this auto-tuned bland 2 beat music that all sounds the same and make a station that switches it up maybe get some punk or ska going hell I am sure people would tune in for a good metal station.

 

[Bobbity]

Still listen in the car, and I can stream it on my phone, but I don't usually do it.

 

[Okamipsychonaut]

my previous two jobs allowed me to listen to whatever I wanted...so when my favorite talk show( I have been my own music provider for years)ended...and subsequently became a podcast...I listened to that too...so radio was gone. But then I just got a job where officially we are not allowed to wear headphones and listen to our own music but can play background radio. So there is this long running alternative radio station( I cannot stand pop music for the most part..or classic rock, or new rock) which is as annoying in it's repetitive playing of only album singles chosen back in the day when corporations still had sway. So my co worker told me about the same station playing local as in Pacific Northwest indie music. Right off the bat this was interesting( all genres, punk, electro, rap, rock, cutesy I am a girl empowered music) and so that is always my choice to listen to...so now I DO listen to radio...AM at that.

I must inquire what station you speak of, the only thing I can think of is 94.7's satellite channel, but for some reason I'm thinking I heard they had an AM station.

I listen to baseball on the radio. Not only is it one of the best ways to take in a game (the only better ways is to actually go to a game or have a dedicated channel) but it also takes me back to my youth when me and my brother would stay up late listening to Dave Niehaus[footnote]My oh my, rest in peace.[/footnote] call the Mariners games.

I also listen to some of the main alternative station but that's just because its the lesser of the evils.

I guess 94.7 2(or Too) does stream on the net, as a cut in voice mentions between songs. They also broadcast it in the much used wavelength of 9.10 AM, though I get it clearest around 9.16. My workplace sits across the river from the hills where the radio towers are so I think we get better than usual reception. As for the main NRK station. I can take only so much Smashing pumpkins and Alice in Chains or those bands and their songs which make you REALLY wonder how they got pegged as "alternative" like this bluegrass Mumford and sons stuff.

 

[AceTrilby]

I should hope it's still relevant, seeing as I present a radio show!

 

[Doitpow]

I like radio. Except charts-obsessed shows. Radio 4 rocks nard (thats talk-radio to you USAers). 5 Live too.