AM radio station KRXA 540(Carmel Valley/Monterey) just switched off their transmitters and became an on-line only radio station. Do you think this is just an aberration, or do you think that more on-air stations will go this route?
Hell, on line has been the only way I can get left wing talk and old time radio for years now.
How do you listen while in the car…or do you?
Bluetooth from my smartphone to my car radio. Works like a charm.
Also makes a great mobile home theater with mp4s and YouTube.
To elaborate, there’s an app for Android called TuneIn Radio, which gets you hundreds of streaming radio stations around the world of all kinds. You can save your favorites, and switch stations all day long.
There are a lot of AM radio stations that are trying to figure out how to become non-AM. The more popular option is try and get a low-power FM license, which gives you a signal that covers maybe 10 miles. Going completely online isn’t as popular yet, precisely because of the whole listening in the car thing, but as Internet interfaces improve, who knows?
Love the app. Pro version costs a buck or two (basic version is free), and allows you to record streams onto your device.
Can be done, is being done, and some of the bangs & whistles when all goes right are nice. Yes, XM is often a lot better too.
But.
Old school here, but I think maintaining a good network of radio transmitters is essential for public safety especially during storm emergencies.
There are several apps for that.
Yes, and if you can afford a cellphone, great. Still there are those nagging thoughts that public safety shouldn’t come with roaming charges or that cell service isn’t available in all areas or that cell towers and
internet service can be knocked out by storms (and even traffic accidents) while radio transmitters are generally hardened.
Look, maybe I’m just an old-timer who remembers back when he was a kid when NYC went dark and only WABC-77AM was on the air (because it had back-up generators).
Having a way to contact people in an emergency through some sort of broadcast system to inform them of status, give instructions and repair time estimates, offer suggestions for the public good,
and list locations for fresh water, food, and medical attention in the event of a disaster seems the right way to run a country. Just sayin’.
…and if some Gilligan doesn’t want to pay for it, they can take their pick of desert isles…
Does that chew through your data plan? I know starting Pandora or Google Music comes with warnings of high data usage (as a warning on the app, not from my provider).
My coverage is spotty at best during my commute out into the sticks so I was never tempted to try it and see how bad it is.
You’re right, of course; in the event of a Katrina or a Sandy cell coverage is going to be iffy, at best, if it exists at all. I would be interested in the stories of Dopers that survived these and other natural disasters such as the recent outbreak of tornadoes in the Midwest - did your cell service go out?
How soon was it restored? Was your phone and Internet access useful in contacting loved ones and getting information from the authorities?
And finally, was your phone and mobile Internet more or less useful than broadcast radio service in the area?
My data plan is 2gb/month. I found out that if I take advantage of wifi spots in my stomping grounds, I usually don’t have trouble with data overages.