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How the hell are radio stations still a thing?

davepoobond

davepoobond

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,491
www.squackle.com
i listen to AM radio still for news.

commercials suck, but I mean... paying for data sucks more, also there's like a million different radio stations so just choose another one when one goes on commercial break


i dont want to always have to curate what i'm listening/watching. let someone else figure it out for me
 
Ometeotl

Ometeotl

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
995
SweetVermouth said:
Y'all are taking this too seriously. Obviously I know that people enjoy them I just have problems understanding why and people look at me like I'm a freak when I ask them to turn off the radio when I can't stand it.

Anyway my main point was in how do these things still exist because I couldn't imagine them doing so with ads only but I guess I was wrong.
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Based on your OP, you're clearly an obnoxious person with "my opinions are better than yours" style attitudes
 
bsigg

bsigg

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,536
jkm23 said:
Two binders and a visor binder! Its a system.

(I can't afford a newer car)
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At one point I had something like a 100 cds in my car between things I bought and things I burned in my truck before the rise of bluetooth and smartphones that could stream music.

I had an iPod for like a month before it was stolen and got the connection for my deck at the time to the iPod. Fuck it was slow searching for songs.

I never had a CD changer though. My brother had one in his car and I thought the 30 disc changer was the coolest shit in the world.
 
patientzero

patientzero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,729
SweetVermouth said:
Y'all are taking this too seriously. Obviously I know that people enjoy them I just have problems understanding why and people look at me like I'm a freak when I ask them to turn off the radio when I can't stand it.

Anyway my main point was in how do these things still exist because I couldn't imagine them doing so with ads only but I guess I was wrong.
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To be fair, if in a car, are you the one driving? Common etiquette is the driver chooses listening options.

Also, any semi populated area has dozens of stations. You can just change them.
 
TheWooniestWoona

TheWooniestWoona

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,759
I use my Zune in my car, cause I'm the weird one here.

Radio is fine. Lots of people still use it. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it needs to stop existing.
I usually use the radio if my Zune battery dies, since I hate using my phone while driving.
 
LosDaddie

LosDaddie

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,622
Longwood, FL
SweetVermouth said:
Y'all are taking this too seriously. Obviously I know that people enjoy them I just have problems understanding why and people look at me like I'm a freak when I ask them to turn off the radio when I can't stand it.

Anyway my main point was in how do these things still exist because I couldn't imagine them doing so with ads only but I guess I was wrong.
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Bruh, asking people to turn off music in my car?

Would be the last time you'd get a ride from me.
 
gutter_trash

gutter_trash

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
17,124
Montreal
cars

you are not going to pay for roaming internet on a car radio while driving the distance.

cars are the reason why radio is still a thing
 

Deleted member 32374

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 10, 2017
8,460
bsigg said:
At one point I had something like a 100 cds in my car between things I bought and things I burned in my truck before the rise of bluetooth and smartphones that could stream music.

I had an iPod for like a month before it was stolen and got the connection for my deck at the time to the iPod. Fuck it was slow searching for songs.

I never had a CD changer though. My brother had one in his car and I thought the 30 disc changer was the coolest shit in the world.
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30 disc.... WOW. I would've settle for a 12 disc when I was 18! (which was like 2007).
 
RDreamer

RDreamer

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,102
I don't think I've been in a car with anyone legitimately listening to the radio other than sports or talk in well over a decade. It does kind of baffle me. I have a business and I get solicited for radio ads that have research showing it's clearly not all old people listening to music stations but I'm not sure why. I guess it is easy to have on for a shared thing on the job site.


GodofWine said:
Any longer drives, I'll go with Pandora, I enjoy the 'radio station' but curated for me style of it, I like it plays stuff I didn't specifically select, because thats how you hear new stuff.

Playing only your likes or your paid for tracks, eventually turns you into a person who only listens to the stuff you liked when you were 20. (its been shown that once you hit 28ish you stop liking new music, probably cause of factors like this).
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Personally I use new release sections, forums, Reddit, etc and find new stuff to listen to on Spotify. I listen to about 3 to 4 new albums every week.

I kind of feel like most radio stations out there are actually FOR people stuck wanting to hear shit from when they were 20. That's what the classic rock or 80s or 90s stations are.

jkm23 said:
Hold up a sec, do some of you no longer have any cds in your car? Its just all streaming? WTF...
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All streaming, along with nearly everyone I know for at least the last 5 or so years. They stopped putting CD players in cars now.
 
TheMan

TheMan

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,264
You sound personally offended by something that doesn't have to affect you. At. All. Sometimes I don't feel like listening to my same streams so I turn on the radio and listen to music (really like way back Wednesdays with 90s alternative). Or sometimes I want NPR.

This kind of reminds me of the matchmaking argument in Destiny or The Division. Why do people hate options so much?
 
Droidian

Droidian

One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Dec 28, 2017
2,391
I enjoy listening to morning radio shows from 5:30 to 10 am, it helps me get through half of my work day while being entertained and updated on current stuff.
The days they go on vacation suck since I have to find something to listen to.
You can't say podcasts since you know you've listened to all the good ones already.
 
henhowc

henhowc

Member
Oct 26, 2017
33,441
Los Angeles, CA
I mostly listen to NPR these days but flipping between radio stations is much easier than trying to fire up spotify or whatever on my phone if i want to listen to music. Also local sportstalk radio.

Perhaps that changes if I get something with Carplay or Android Auto support and those platforms mature.
 
DrainedSpirit

DrainedSpirit

Member
Mar 25, 2019
320
MattWhite924 said:
I use my Zune in my car, cause I'm the weird one here.

Radio is fine. Lots of people still use it. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it needs to stop existing.
I usually use the radio if my Zune battery dies, since I hate using my phone while driving.
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Yay a fellow Zune-user :D Which model? I have my OG 30GB Brown/Green in my nightstand for night-time radio when I can't sleep. Love it.
 

Allforce

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,136
How else am I gonna hear Charlamagne's Donkey of the Day on the Breakfast Club? It's on at 8:05 AM right after I drop my kid off at school!

I still listen to the radio in the car, as does my wife, and my teenage daughter. We got a lot of good hip-hop stations here (modern AND classic) so I don't really mind the commercials here and there and DJs stay out of the way for the most part. I also like The Dan Patrick Show but the station that carried that switched formats so it's not on here anymore.
 
Depths

Depths

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,512
Seems like OP really didn't think too hard about this one. I listen to NPR daily on my commute.
 
Bakercat

Bakercat

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,153
'merica
Things like weather channels and NPR i understand, but I don't see the appeal of music stations nowadays unless you just want someone else to pick the music for you. Living in rural Kentucky your choices are modern country, classic country, a pop station, one 70's rock station, or NPR. My Spotify subscription is vital lol.
 
TheMadTitan

TheMadTitan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
27,178
People like personalities; it's why talk shows and youtubers exist. People listen to the DJs as much as they listen to the music.
 
cakely

cakely

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,149
Chicago
NPR.

Also, radio is .... literally broadcast, doesn't require internet access or a subscription. It has its advantages.
 
DrainedSpirit

DrainedSpirit

Member
Mar 25, 2019
320
MattWhite924 said:
I've got a Zune 80 that I've upgraded to a 120GB SSD. I've used that thing pretty much every day for over a decade now.
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Nice! I've been looking into upgrading storage as well but the thought of being locked to the Zune software for transferring music has me questioning how much I would use it. That's honestly the worst thing about the Zune. Was glorious software back in the day though.
 

Deleted member 48897

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 22, 2018
13,623
Cyclone said:
Um, because there are a lot of people that:
  • Drive to work daily
  • Might not have enough data to stream music daily
  • Enjoy some radio content (sports radio, NPR).
  • Don't have the means to connect their phone to their car, or don't want to.
  • Have satellite radio
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Yep. I would say all of the first 3 apply to me. Plus we're one of the areas that still actually has something resembling a jazz station. Radio is fine.

I also very strongly dislike music subscription services.

Having said that, I do listen to a lot of podcasts most of the time.
 
Jeronimo

Jeronimo

Member
Nov 16, 2017
2,377
SweetVermouth said:
Y'all I don't have a data plan either, I prefer not listening to anything while driving a car than be forced to listen to any radio station whatsoever.
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The answer is that other people don't have the hatred for radio stations that you do.

I'm not even the biggest radio listener myself, but that's it, right there... others prefer something to the silence.
 
Tobor

Tobor

Member
Oct 25, 2017
28,370
Richmond, VA
All you NPR listeners, seriously, check out the NPR One app.

The ability to skip Trump stories when I just can't take it anymore is a life saver.
 
ElectricBlanketFire

ElectricBlanketFire

What year is this?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,800
Tobor said:
All you NPR listeners, seriously, check out the NPR One app.

The ability to skip Trump stories when I just can't take it anymore is a life saver.
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I'm actually the opposite where something major will be happening and NPR is running a story on some guy who recorded the White Album using nothing but shovels or some nonsense.
 
TheWooniestWoona

TheWooniestWoona

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,759
jkm23 said:
I respect the dedication... did you change the battery?

About music, check if you have a local college station you can pick up...
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Yup, I've replaced it twice now. I'm pretty sure I've resurrected this thing so many times that I count as a necromancer. Like I accidentally sent it through the washing machine a few months ago, and it was absolutely dead, but what it fails to realize is that I decide when it gets to die, so I brought it back. Turns out water damage can be fixed sometimes by soaking in alcohol.

And more on topic, the Zune contains a radio too :P
 

Deleted member 4034

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
26,560
SweetVermouth said:
Y'all are taking this too seriously. Obviously I know that people enjoy them I just have problems understanding why and people look at me like I'm a freak when I ask them to turn off the radio when I can't stand it.

Anyway my main point was in how do these things still exist because I couldn't imagine them doing so with ads only but I guess I was wrong.
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Absolutely none of that came across in the OP.
 

Deleted member 32374

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 10, 2017
8,460
MattWhite924 said:
Yup, I've replaced it twice now. I'm pretty sure I've resurrected this thing so many times that I count as a necromancer. Like I accidentally sent it through the washing machine a few months ago, and it was absolutely dead, but what it fails to realize is that I decide when it gets to die, so I brought it back. Turns out water damage can be fixed sometimes by soaking in alcohol.

And more on topic, the Zune contains a radio too :P
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That's great. I love to hear this kind of dedication to old electronics that still do the job. You probably used up its last life after the washing machine incident.
 
Aftermath

Aftermath

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,756
I used to wonder why DJ's would talk & sing or just cut off songs early too.

I was told by a older person in his 50's that its to prevent piracy, yes even still in this day & age lol
 
MIMIC

MIMIC

Member
Dec 18, 2017
8,313
It's free music.

I listen to radio all the time, but sometimes I get sick of my own playlists and just turn on the radio just hear something else.
 
patientzero

patientzero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,729
Bakercat said:
Things like weather channels and NPR i understand, but I don't see the appeal of music stations nowadays unless you just want someone else to pick the music for you. Living in rural Kentucky your choices are modern country, classic country, a pop station, one 70's rock station, or NPR. My Spotify subscription is vital lol.
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Rural is definitely the qualifier here. For a couple years I traveled rural Ohio for a weekly commute and that was all top 40, country and church sermons. The cities and suburbs are fine.

ElectricBlanketFire said:
I'm actually the opposite where something major will be happening and NPR is running a story on some guy who recorded the White Album using nothing but shovels or some nonsense.
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A coworker and I joked about this a lot.

"Up next, our jazz critic Kevin Whitehead..."

*turns station to something else*
 
Parch

Parch

Member
Nov 6, 2017
7,980
Mostly sports radio for me. Since I cut the cable, I'll listen to games on radio.
It's back to radio broadcasts and rabbit ears for OTA TV. Just like the good old days.
 
Aftermath

Aftermath

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,756
I actually appreciate a Radio show to turn me on to new music though , like something a DJ has discovered that's good that Spotify or streaming wouldn't offer me or if i did i'd probably Skip, but with radio if its genre i like i tend to leave it play all the way through in background incase it ls good which has happened a lot.

Another example is an artist comes in say im listening to a metal show, but in the artist picks their fave they choose one or two songs from another related genre like blues or soft rock now or even pop or electronic and i may like it normally spotify wouldn't throw that curveball at me radomly it would probably be just ALL metal/hardrock
 
MrCibb

MrCibb

Member
Dec 12, 2018
5,349
UK
I often listen to the radio. Sports is a big one; if I can't watch the football, or go see it, I just listen to the commentary on the local radio station and also pick up other scores and things going with the sport too. I also enjoy stations like Absolute Radio. They have some good interviews and banter, and in general having music broken up with conversation I personally find much more appealing and easy to listen to than just non-stop music.

So I don't even agree that it's an old person thing. Radio just fits into some people's lives quite handily, and doesn't others.
 
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