The combination of ClearChannel's homogenization and the internet in general means people have largely forgotten the actual cool part of local radio. It doesn't

The combination of ClearChannel's homogenization and the internet in general means people have largely forgotten the actual cool part of local radio. It doesn't mean that a particular transmitter is located in the Bay Area or that your daytime commute comedy show hails from the Bay Area either -- talk to someone who grew up listening to radio in the 70s. They will tell you who their late-night DJ was and what records they introduced to the area. This person was as important as the music itself -- much like Arrington breaking a story was as important as the story itself (for better or worse). The rise of music blogs is the closest modern analog -- instead of centering around a geographic area, people center around a 'scene.' One can also get the same experience listening to amateur radio shows occasionally hosted on, for example, http://di.fm http://di.fm.