This morning I pile into my truck like I normally do – need a cup of coffee bad. Need my podcasts bad. Start the car and I normally listen to some Classic Rock music – Maybe Zepplin or Pink Floyd. Forigner, Styx, Journey and I suppose a little AC/DC.
But as I turned on the radio, I heard the song “Whatever You Like”, one of the newer songs by TI (and already parodied by Weird Al I must add).I figured I must’ve hit a button and accidentally went to the Hip-Hop station. As I looked at the dial, I realized – it’s on my station.
I was floored. I couldn’t believe after all this time of listening they just close the doors like that. I remember when they opened the doors – For 2 weeks they played old radio jingles. Then the Classic Rock started. That was 6 1/2 years ago and I’ve been listening until this morning.
Now it’s a Hip-Hop station. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s more that Hip-Hop stations have jumped across the dial – Basically a radio station switches format and a couple months later it either switches again or stops broadcasting altogether.
It makes me think more about finally getting a stereo with WiFi access so I can just download music or Podcasts to listen to in the car. I had a rental car a couple weeks back where it contained not only Sirius, but also had a USB port where I could plug in a flash drive and listen to my favorite stuff.
I suppose I could just get a HD radio and get more stations. I won’t be able to get that radio station though – for it’s been disbanded. It also doesn’t change the issue – Big corporation can always change the format or disband the station.
What really gets me is the station decided to make the switch without notice. Now on their website we have a small news article saying it’s closed, but doesn’t say why. It doesn’t really matter. I think I am going to find alternatives to getting music.
One of the station my kids and I always listen to in the car went to “holiday” music about two weeks ago. No warning, no nothing. Turns out they are “changing formats” after the new year.
That’s nice, but Christmas music in the middle of October? Sheesh!!
Thank God for my iPod and collection of CD’s, we are never at a loss for our listening pleasure!
I studied broadcasting in college. Very rarely does the public receive notice of format changes and quite often the staff also receives no notice. Almost anyone in radio can tell you of a time when they were called into a meeting, met the new owners, and were given their walking papers. I have one friend who eventually quit radio because that had happened to her so many times. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Interesting article, aside from your inane comment, “Big corporation can always change the format or disband the station.” Um, so can small corporations, and even individuals broadcasting a pirate signal out of their mom’s basement. If you’re anti-corporation that’s fine, but try to make a little sense.