# Radio Stations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109 "2007-03-30T14:30:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/1 "2007-03-30T14:30:25Z")
Do you have any odd radio stations in your area? What about too much of one format? Here in DC we have one Classic Rock station (we used to have two) and now we have three “Adult Album Alternative” stations (you know, “The Best Mix of the 80s, 90s and Today”, stuff like that) one of which used to be a Classic rock station. :mad: :mad: :mad Also, who decides what gets played on stations? I ask because when I was little, which wasn’t so long ago, my mom would play Mix 107.3 out of DC. I heard only one band which my little mind really liked, R.E.M. 🙂 But then I’d hear Nirvana, who I hated and still do. 😃 Not once did I hear 80s bands like Van Halen or Guns N’ Roses, only Cyndi Lauper and anything from Seattle wearing flannel. Why? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/2 "2007-03-30T15:20:53Z")
Also, the new 94.7 has sort of a stupid name, “The Globe” ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/3 "2007-03-30T17:27:58Z")
Currently there are three major country stations, which is plenty (too many), if you ask me. Up until yesterday we had four (one of which used to be an oldies station, which has taken up new residency on another frequency), but one of them has changed formats as of this morning and is described as a “variety hits” station. The news article describes it as a relatively new format. Since the news site requires registration I’ll post a snippet of the article: > [@ktvb.com](#): > > BOISE- Listeners expecting country music on 96.1 FM Friday morning heard something a bit different. > > KSRV-FM radio switched from 96.1 The Bull to a new format – 96.1 Bob FM. Bob uses a relatively new type of format known as “Variety Hits,” using a wide range of songs, mixed together in seemingly random order. > > The station’s first morning featured songs from Aviril Lavigne, Steve Miller Band, Alanis Morissette, US and Kiss among others. Tester says the station has more than 1500 songs in rotation at any one time. The station says it will “play anything,” including music from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. > > The station will not feature traditional DJs, according to Tester – instead using one pre-recorded voice, known – appropriately – as “Bob.” If I didn’t know better I’d say someone just has an iPod on shuffle that’s hooked up to a radio transmitter. I gave it a listen this morning and I was pleased with the variety of music, including songs I hadn’t heard in several years. We have three major rock stations, which is cool. The rest are mostly religious programming, Spanish, pop and “adult hits” stations. The current list of radio stations in my area (other than 96.1) can be seen [here](http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=83702&state=&sid=&x=13&y=2). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/4 "2007-03-30T18:01:01Z")
[QUOTE=The Spirit of Radio] Do you have any odd radio stations in your area? What about too much of one format? Here in DC we have one Classic Rock station (we used to have two) and now we have three “Adult Album Alternative” stations (you know, “The Best Mix of the 80s, 90s and Today”, stuff like that) one of which used to be a Classic rock station. :mad: :mad: :mad: [/QUOTE] Greeting fellow DC-area denzien. Being irritated with local radio (and its corresponding commercials) is why I started listening to internet stations and iPod. There are some great overseas stations that presumably won’t have any RIAA trouble, my favorite is [4BH](http://www.mytalk.com.au/default.aspx?sn=4bh) in Brisbane, Australia. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/5 "2007-03-30T18:34:30Z")
[QUOTE=dwc1970] Currently there are three major country stations, which is plenty (too many), if you ask me. Up until yesterday we had four (one of which used to be an oldies station, which has taken up new residency on another frequency), but one of them has changed formats as of this morning and is described as a “variety hits” station. The news article describes it as a relatively new format. Since the news site requires registration I’ll post a snippet of the article: If I didn’t know better I’d say someone just has an iPod on shuffle that’s hooked up to a radio transmitter. I gave it a listen this morning and I was pleased with the variety of music, including songs I hadn’t heard in several years. We have three major rock stations, which is cool. The rest are mostly religious programming, Spanish, pop and “adult hits” stations. The current list of radio stations in my area (other than 96.1) seen [here](http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=83702&state=&sid=&x=13&y=2). [/QUOTE] We have a station playing the Bob format here in Tucson, 97.5 KSZR. I agree with your description, it’s like someone is playing the contents of my MP3 player. I even have a large playlist on it I’ve named my “Bob” list. 🙂 I have that station as the first pre set on all my radios. We also have a couple of classic rock stations. Those are the only ones I listen to, except for a couple of sports stations on the AM band. Oddly enough, we only have one country music station. Here’s a list of [Tucson stations](http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-radio-stations-in-arizona) ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/6 "2007-03-30T18:56:04Z")
[QUOTE=The Spirit of Radio] Do you have any odd radio stations in your area? What about too much of one format? Here in DC we have one Classic Rock station (we used to have two) and now we have three “Adult Album Alternative” stations (you know, “ **The Best Mix of the 80s, 90s and Today** ”, stuff like that) one of which used to be a Classic rock station. :mad: :mad: :mad Also, who decides what gets played on stations? I ask because when I was little, which wasn’t so long ago, my mom would play Mix 107.3 out of DC. I heard only one band which my little mind really liked, R.E.M. 🙂 But then I’d hear Nirvana, who I hated and still do. 😃 Not once did I hear 80s bands like Van Halen or Guns N’ Roses, only Cyndi Lauper and anything from Seattle wearing flannel. Why? [/QUOTE] Bolding mine. As dumb as the name “The Globe” is, and as bad as it it is to start your morning with a DJ named Weasel, that format you quoted is not what they play. WTGB actually plays music from the '60s forward, making them unique in my experience. Actually, DC just got a new classic rock station, what used to be WGMS (I think, whoever played real classical music) and with three stations the market was getting crowded, so “The Globe” expanded formats to stake out a new place. Not all bad, and Weasel and Cerphe have been area staples, reconnecting me with my musical youth from their old WHFS days, so I listen. Their environmentally friendly shtick, I am less fond of. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/7 "2007-03-31T00:26:26Z")
[QUOTE=brownie55] Bolding mine. As dumb as the name “The Globe” is, and as bad as it it is to start your morning with a DJ named Weasel, that format you quoted is not what they play. WTGB actually plays music from the '60s forward, making them unique in my experience. [/QUOTE] About the Best Mix stuff, that was what 107.3 used to go by, and that was embedded in my mind. P.S. What do you have against Weasel? QUOTE=brownie55]Actually, DC just got a new classic rock station. [/QUOTE] Cite? ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/8 "2007-03-31T01:55:36Z")
[QUOTE=The Spirit of Radio] About the Best Mix stuff, that was what 107.3 used to go by, and that was embedded in my mind. P.S. What do you have against Weasel? [/QUOTE] I have nothing against Weasel except his voice at 6:30 in the morning is a little shrill IMHO. When he did the night time show WARW I always listened. The man knows more rock history and trivia. [QUOTE=The Spirit of Radio] Cite? [/QUOTE] Actually, it’s another “Bob” type readio station called [“George”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WXGG) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/9 "2007-03-31T13:47:54Z")
[QUOTE=brownie55] Actually, it’s another “Bob” type readio station called [“George”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WXGG) [/QUOTE] Yeah, but they play more than just Classic Rock, the DC area needs a purely Classic rock station. I don’t count 100.3 (WBIG) as Classic Rock because they play things like Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, something that Classic rock 94.7 never would have thought of playing. Stevie Wonder is SOUL, not Rock. (Though it would be cool if he had a crossover hit, I wonder what it would sound like :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/10 "2007-03-31T13:50:46Z")
I would listen to DC101, which I do occasionally, but they seem to be moving toward an all 90s-all the time format, with some classics thrown in. As I said before, I’ve hated grunge for as long as I can remember. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/11 "2007-03-31T13:53:42Z")
In Chicago we have WXRT (which also streams). The DJs do their own programming. For me, it’s a nice mix of new and old, and no asshole DJs doing sophomoric schtick to give me a headache. They’re my default station. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/12 "2007-03-31T13:58:28Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] In Chicago we have WXRT (which also streams). The DJs do their own programming. For me, it’s a nice mix of new and old, and no asshole DJs doing sophomoric schtick to give me a headache. They’re my default station. [/QUOTE] Yeah, now, my default station is WZBA out of Baltimore, they have some pretty good stuff, though sometimes the signal is a little waffly. I can get it in most parts of my house and most of my town, but it’s very staticy on my driveway for some reason. I wish they would stream online! ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/13 "2007-03-31T14:06:05Z")
What an excellent post and protest to how someone(s) are getting paid mucho bucks to dictate to us what gets air play! Along with this post, one must wonder how the superbands of the 1970’s were nurtured to become so while bands with the same potential were squelched in the 1980’s!?!?! A few of the strong survived, but others (despite winning many prestigious awards) were quietly “bumped off”, at least bumped off the air, that is! Men At Work is a prime example of this. Ok, perhaps some bands had internal issues, but there were too many with high potential, For example, Mr. Alan Parsons attempted to fund and nurture the bands he believed in like the Alan Parsons Project and (award-winning) Toto. Unfortunately, when Toto’s critically-acclaimed drummer, Jeff Piccaro died, it seemed everything else for these bands (who often shared mucisians) died, too. Maybe that’s a coincidence. In closing, I agree with the OP that today’s radio sucks, but there is a glint of a movement to bring back a better variety. I know someone will say “buy satellite radio”, but I refuse to pay for radio. I simply turn to my huge music library, instead! 😛 - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/14 "2007-03-31T14:17:37Z")
[QUOTE=Jinx] What an excellent post and protest to how someone(s) are getting paid mucho bucks to dictate to us what gets air play! Along with this post, one must wonder how the superbands of the 1970’s were nurtured to become so while bands with the same potential were squelched in the 1980’s!?!?! A few of the strong survived, but others (despite winning many prestigious awards) were quietly “bumped off”, at least bumped off the air, that is! Men At Work is a prime example of this. Ok, perhaps some bands had internal issues, but there were too many with high potential, For example, Mr. Alan Parsons attempted to fund and nurture the bands he believed in like the Alan Parsons Project and (award-winning) Toto. Unfortunately, when Toto’s critically-acclaimed drummer, Jeff Piccaro died, it seemed everything else for these bands (who often shared mucisians) died, too. Maybe that’s a coincidence. In closing, I agree with the OP that today’s radio sucks, but there is a glint of a movement to bring back a better variety. I know someone will say “buy satellite radio”, but I refuse to pay for radio. I simply turn to my huge music library, instead! 😛 - Jinx [/QUOTE] Gee, I was just remembering back to what I liked and didn’t like when I was two. Also, thanks for the history, I didn’t know that because I was born in the early 1990s, two weeks before Kurt Cobain’s suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/15 "2007-03-31T14:36:29Z")
Boston is known the world over for its staunchly liberal views and activism at least relative to the rest of America. That is why we have right near the middle of the FM dial, 96.9, which is among the most blatantly right-wing shock radio stations you will ever find. I am plenty libertarian/conservative myself and this station just leaves me shaking my head all the time. [Jay Severin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Severin) is the poster-child shock commentator for the channel and has a huge following. I suppose that when an area goes too far in one direction, it induces a backlash from people that want it even harder from the other side and are willing to tune in enough to warrant a dedicated FM station. In other areas, you might find this stuff on some backwater AM station at 2 am but Boston has it front and center for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/16 "2007-03-31T14:44:19Z")
[QUOTE=Jinx] Unfortunately, when Toto’s critically-acclaimed drummer, Jeff Piccaro [/QUOTE] No. Porcaro. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/17 "2007-03-31T14:46:46Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] Boston is known the world over for its staunchly liberal views and activism at least relative to the rest of America. That is why we have right near the middle of the FM dial, 96.9, which is among the most blatantly right-wing shock radio stations you will ever find. I am plenty libertarian/conservative myself and this station just leaves me shaking my head all the time. [Jay Severin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Severin) is the poster-child shock commentator for the channel and has a huge following. I suppose that when an area goes too far in one direction, it induces a backlash from people that want it even harder from the other side and are willing to tune in enough to warrant a dedicated FM station. In other areas, you might find this stuff on some backwater AM station at 2 am but Boston has it front and center for some reason. [/QUOTE] Yeah, same with DC, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are on at the same time (noon) on WTNT and WMAL, yet there is only one liberal radio show that comes to mind, The Diane Rehm Show, which is on WAMU (DC’s NPR station, yay, NPR! 😃😃 :D) at 10 AM and 4 AM. That’s weird because DC is perhaps one of the most liberal cities in the nation. 🙂 This is a city where, when it’s time to elect a new mayor, the Democratic primary gets more coverage than the actual election, because it’s the real race! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@The\_Spirit\_of\_Radio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Spirit_of_Radio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/18 "2007-03-31T14:59:22Z")
Scuse the threadjack on my own thread, but if you highlight the big grin emoticon, they look like skulls wearing old-timey football helmets. Try it out, if you dare. 😃😃😃😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/19 "2007-03-31T15:16:25Z")
A few years ago, a new station opened in the Chicago area called “The Nine” (99.9 FM) which billed itself as “We play anything” and they – within reason – did. No Gregorian chanting or anything but a mixture of oldies, classic rock, new music, alternative, 80’s, even some disco and country. Then Jack FM, a nationwide station which is apparently just a big MP3 player plugged into a transmitter, got a station in Chicago and they billed themselves the same way. Except Jack FM’s “anything” is really “80’s & 90’s & Today with an occassional classic rock tune”. Unfortunately, they must have been outranking The Nine because, shortly after, The Nine shifted formats to be a lot closer to Jack FM and now we have two identical “Anything” stations marked only by the fact that The Nine has live DJs and Jack FM trumpets the fact that it has no one manning the switch. All that aside, like **Kalhoun** , WXRT is my default station when I want to listen to radio instead of my MP3 player in the car. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109/20 "2007-03-31T15:24:30Z")
[QUOTE=The Spirit of Radio] Yeah, same with DC, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are on at the same time (noon) on WTNT and WMAL, yet there is only one liberal radio show that comes to mind, The Diane Rehm Show, which is on WAMU (DC’s NPR station, yay, NPR! 😃😃 :D) at 10 AM and 4 AM. That’s weird because DC is perhaps one of the most liberal cities in the nation. 🙂 This is a city where, when it’s time to elect a new mayor, the Democratic primary gets more coverage than the actual election, because it’s the real race! [/QUOTE] I wonder if San Francisco has any highly-visible right-wing shock stations? If not, I think I just found a business opportunity that can’t lose. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-stations/398109.md?page=2)