But It's Plain to See That The Radio Still Sucks

I, like thousands of people the world over, walked into work this morning and turned on the radio. Others listened to it in the car on the way to work. Others just have it piped in over their heads; in the stores they visit; in the stores they work in; in their home because their neighbour has no sense of what qualifies as an acceptable volume to play music. Regardless of the how, where and when though, a lot of people listen to the radio.

My question is why?

When I tuned in this morning, I just couldn't take it. I'd heard this song too much, and I could guess what was coming next. So I just tuned back out.

When you first start listening to a radio station, I'll admit that you are exposed to a variety of new music. That lasts about a week, depending on frequency of listening and the particular radio station. After that point you won't just start to notice some overlap in the music played (you can easily find that in 6 hours of straight listening); you'll notice that there are only so many songs a station will play and that sooner or later you're going to hear all of them. Again, and again.

For example, does anyone here remember Gob? Specifically World According to Gob? I do. Brings about flashbacks to the halls of my high school. Well a few months ago I was listening to my radio station of choice (the one I find least offensive) and they played some Gob. It was fun. I enjoyed it. I actually quite like Gob. Thing is, every couple of days they'll play Gob again. So when I tuned to Live 88.5 in the car and Gob was playing, and my girlfriend turned to me and said, "Wow, I haven't heard this song in a while." I had heard it. A lot.

So what's up with the limited roster of repeats on the radio? I understand that it costs money to play songs on the radio, so perhaps it's a purely financial decision. And for a month or two I can understand that. But years? Come on guys. You can't throw ten new songs in with the fifty old ones you've been playing ad infinitum, then play those new songs every 2 hours, and expect me to not still be bored. Sure, the first play of a new song is cool. "Oh hey, I haven't heard this one yet." Then after drudging through the usual suspects it's on a second time, "Cool, this song is alright." By the end of the week I'm ready to print out the new song's lyrics a thousand times (once for every play on the radio) fashion the paper into a noose and hang myself.

And why can't people request new and interesting songs when they call into a station? You want to hear Freebird? Again? Piss off! It was on 20 minutes ago. Do you really have that limited a mental musical library? I do, but I have the courtesy to only listen to my favourites over and over again in private. I don't subject the world to it (with interspersed "witty" DJ banter, and ads). The kicker, of course, is that if you do have the gall to call in requesting something new and interesting (even if it is genre relevant, and probably something listeners would enjoy) you'll be lucky if the station even has the song.

Is there a radio station out there which pushes the boundaries? Which plays new and interesting music all the time? A station with a strict limit on the number of times they will play a song before they assume anyone who likes it has just bought the damn album? What if I want to listen to a radio station which will introduce me to new music instead of just replaying the same stuff I know I like (or at least did, before the 500th play)?

If it's just a matter of economics, someone please tell me so.

But if it's not... is there really no market for a radio station which doesn't just repeat the same songs over and over and over and over and over.....

(Title c.o. The Ataris - The Radio Still Sucks)