3 ms·

I turned on the radio for kicks a few weeks ago, just to see what it was like nowadays. Ads. It's all ads. Like 10 minute blocks of ads interleaved with radio

I turned on the radio for kicks a few weeks ago, just to see what it was like nowadays. Ads. It's all ads. Like 10 minute blocks of ads interleaved with radio hosts reading promo weather and promo traffic, followed by ads, then maybe a song. Then more ads.

2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago
Did you need an account to tune in? I haven't listened to the radio in years because they closed down my stations! WBRU and WBCN!
galleywest200 2y ago
Check out a listener-powered station such as KEXP at 90.3 (Seattle) or 92.7 (SF/Oakland). If you live outside of these regions they stream at KEXP.org or on their mobile app. You can also listen to the last two weeks of shows at https://www.kexp.org/archive/ https://www.kexp.org/archive/.
- nicksergeant 2y ago
  Yep, still going strong here in Rochester, NY as well with WBER: https://wber.org https://wber.org
- freddie_mercury 2y ago
  I've listened to plenty of listener powered stations. They don't have ads. Just weeks of effectively ads when they are begging for donations. I'd rather have an ad. Plus every listener powered station I've ever listened to has tons of shows I don't care about or even tolerate. Streaming doesn't have the same issue. Just as an example: your KEXP appears to play country, jazz, and electronic, reggae, and metal. I think a lot of people aren't going to be interested in all of those options.
  - dingnuts 2y ago
    I listen to KUTX and KEXP and appreciate that there are shows hosted by different DJs that play different genres at different times of the day, and week. On Friday afternoons KUTX has had a old school dance show. I don't really listen to funk or disco but I always enjoyed the energy of that show on Fridays, and have come to associate it with the weekend and get excited when it's on I'm not interested in everything KUTX plays, but I'm way more interested in the variety they offer and the chance to discover new artists like Adrian Quesada, JUNGLE, or Khruangbin, who I otherwise never would have discovered, than I am in whatever twenty year old mainstream dreck is on iHeartRadio's single-genre no DJ shuffle broadcast
    - ruraljuror 2y ago
      > I don't really listen to funk or disco but I always enjoyed the energy of that show on Fridays, and have come to associate it with the weekend and get excited when it's on I had the same experience when I regularly listened to wfmu. The human connection is a really wonderful quality of broadcast radio.
- UncleOxidant 2y ago
  Did not know that KEXP had an Oakland repeater. It would be nice if we could get one in the Portland area.
- euroderf 2y ago
  In the same vein, listener-supported WFMU.
- reilly3000 2y ago
  While I’m a long time fan of KEXP and KCRW, I just can’t say enough good things about KYRS. It’s a local broadcaster with dozens of eclectic shows by volunteer DJs who lovingly curate music and content. It’s broadcast out of our central library downtown and has a rather unreliable radio tower that had a tendency to go down during big storms. The programming is brimming with enthusiasm and positive energy, and has helped me discover music that simple wouldn’t get played anywhere else. I love how human the DJs are, they sometimes ramble, or miscue a track, maybe wander a bit far from the mic. It feels completely organic and in stark contrast with your average media in 2024. Check out their stream on https://kyrs.org https://kyrs.org
- sehugg 2y ago
  Also WWOZ (https://wwoz.org/ https://wwoz.org/) from New Orleans.
- corranh 2y ago
  Also Seattle interestingly, C89.5 has a great live stream. No commercials, owned by Seattle Public Schools, and partially run by high school students.
JKCalhoun 2y ago
I think there's a secret pirate in me that wonders if the time is right....
0_____0 2y ago
In Boston the college radio stations are a lovely and weird respite from the Cumulus and Iheart scourge. Weirdly enough Canada seems to have better and less grating radio, anecdotal from my experience in BC.
pclmulqdq 2y ago
ASCAP/BMI charge radio stations a lot for a license to play music. Spotify's licensing costs are pennies for the same reach as a local radio station. It's no surprise that the expensive distribution channel is packed with ads.
soygem 2y ago
Amen. I also hate ads so much it's unreal.
tumnus 2y ago
KCRW out of Santa Monica is an extremely good station. But,like most, probably the exception that proves the rule.
omoikane 2y ago
Maybe it depends on the station? Classical California (KDFC) has few ads. Also, since classical music are relatively long, you get fewer interruptions between songs.
lostlogin 2y ago
> Ads. It’s all ads. Sounds like the internet. And TV.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  >Sounds like the internet. Not when you have an ad-blocker.
kleiba 2y ago
Having lived abroad for some years, I can attest that this is definitely worse in the US than elsewhere. There's definitely ads (less host-read promos, maybe), but it does not seem so overwhelming. I noticed the difference quite drastically once I moved back.
varelse 2y ago
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2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago

Did you need an account to tune in? I haven't listened to the radio in years because they closed down my stations! WBRU and WBCN!

galleywest200 2y ago

Check out a listener-powered station such as KEXP at 90.3 (Seattle) or 92.7 (SF/Oakland). If you live outside of these regions they stream at KEXP.org or on their mobile app. You can also listen to the last two weeks of shows at https://www.kexp.org/archive/ https://www.kexp.org/archive/.

nicksergeant 2y ago
Yep, still going strong here in Rochester, NY as well with WBER: https://wber.org https://wber.org
freddie_mercury 2y ago
I've listened to plenty of listener powered stations. They don't have ads. Just weeks of effectively ads when they are begging for donations. I'd rather have an ad. Plus every listener powered station I've ever listened to has tons of shows I don't care about or even tolerate. Streaming doesn't have the same issue. Just as an example: your KEXP appears to play country, jazz, and electronic, reggae, and metal. I think a lot of people aren't going to be interested in all of those options.
- dingnuts 2y ago
  I listen to KUTX and KEXP and appreciate that there are shows hosted by different DJs that play different genres at different times of the day, and week. On Friday afternoons KUTX has had a old school dance show. I don't really listen to funk or disco but I always enjoyed the energy of that show on Fridays, and have come to associate it with the weekend and get excited when it's on I'm not interested in everything KUTX plays, but I'm way more interested in the variety they offer and the chance to discover new artists like Adrian Quesada, JUNGLE, or Khruangbin, who I otherwise never would have discovered, than I am in whatever twenty year old mainstream dreck is on iHeartRadio's single-genre no DJ shuffle broadcast
  - ruraljuror 2y ago
    > I don't really listen to funk or disco but I always enjoyed the energy of that show on Fridays, and have come to associate it with the weekend and get excited when it's on I had the same experience when I regularly listened to wfmu. The human connection is a really wonderful quality of broadcast radio.
UncleOxidant 2y ago
Did not know that KEXP had an Oakland repeater. It would be nice if we could get one in the Portland area.
euroderf 2y ago
In the same vein, listener-supported WFMU.
reilly3000 2y ago
While I’m a long time fan of KEXP and KCRW, I just can’t say enough good things about KYRS. It’s a local broadcaster with dozens of eclectic shows by volunteer DJs who lovingly curate music and content. It’s broadcast out of our central library downtown and has a rather unreliable radio tower that had a tendency to go down during big storms. The programming is brimming with enthusiasm and positive energy, and has helped me discover music that simple wouldn’t get played anywhere else. I love how human the DJs are, they sometimes ramble, or miscue a track, maybe wander a bit far from the mic. It feels completely organic and in stark contrast with your average media in 2024. Check out their stream on https://kyrs.org https://kyrs.org
sehugg 2y ago
Also WWOZ (https://wwoz.org/ https://wwoz.org/) from New Orleans.
corranh 2y ago
Also Seattle interestingly, C89.5 has a great live stream. No commercials, owned by Seattle Public Schools, and partially run by high school students.

JKCalhoun 2y ago

I think there's a secret pirate in me that wonders if the time is right....

0_____0 2y ago

In Boston the college radio stations are a lovely and weird respite from the Cumulus and Iheart scourge. Weirdly enough Canada seems to have better and less grating radio, anecdotal from my experience in BC.

pclmulqdq 2y ago

ASCAP/BMI charge radio stations a lot for a license to play music. Spotify's licensing costs are pennies for the same reach as a local radio station. It's no surprise that the expensive distribution channel is packed with ads.

soygem 2y ago

Amen. I also hate ads so much it's unreal.

tumnus 2y ago

KCRW out of Santa Monica is an extremely good station. But,like most, probably the exception that proves the rule.

omoikane 2y ago

Maybe it depends on the station? Classical California (KDFC) has few ads. Also, since classical music are relatively long, you get fewer interruptions between songs.

lostlogin 2y ago

> Ads. It’s all ads. Sounds like the internet. And TV.

shiroiushi 2y ago
>Sounds like the internet. Not when you have an ad-blocker.

kleiba 2y ago

Having lived abroad for some years, I can attest that this is definitely worse in the US than elsewhere. There's definitely ads (less host-read promos, maybe), but it does not seem so overwhelming. I noticed the difference quite drastically once I moved back.

varelse 2y ago

[dead]