California Radio

One of the first things I noticed when I got out here was how much better the radio stations were out here than in DC. I know what you are saying, why would anyone still listen to the radio? Doesn't everyone have satellite radio or an Ipod or a bunch of CD's? Get with the times Jenkins! Well I don't have satellite radio and my Ipod got stolen like a year ago and I don't listen to CD's that much. So take that! So when I'm in the car I listen to the radio, and the stations here are so much better, more variety, better DJ's, and they have unique programming. The station I listen to the most, 94.9, plays rock/alternative stuff and they play all the current hits but they also play obscure B-sides from albums that weren't a band's most well known. It makes for fun listening those few times when I'm in the car with the radio on (I always have the radio on in the car, I just am rarely in the car).

The best is on Friday mornings (the few times I've caught it) when they have a Blues hour, and they play really old Blues tunes. It's so cool. I could listen to old Blues recordings forever, and when I mean old I mean like 1920's, dirty south, poor black guy waiting for a train blues. I think it's the greatest ever. The thing is though, that if there was a station dedicated to playing just old school blues jams, I might never listen to it. An hour is great, but I would never stop on a station long enough to hear that it was a Blues station. And I just don't meet enough radio aficionados to hear about anything like that. It's a shame I'm so singular in my radio tastes but then again it's not a medium I experience often. I don't actively listen to the radio at home, only when I'm in the car, and on an average week I'm in the car less than an hour a week. Stil I really like the radio here and maybe I should take more advantage of that (I can't listen to it at work).

The radio seems to be a dwindling medium, much like Newspapers. I think that like the morning paper, it will be around in some form forever. But it's only going to become less and less used and listened to. Soon no channel will have any character and they will all be these massive clear channel conglomerates. Shame but that's the way the world works. I will just have to enjoy my Friday blues hour whenever I get a chance. I'm certainly enjoying the fact that San Diego has such cool radio stations, and people, and places, and weather, etc, etc.