The Joys of Radio
I find myself sitting on the balcony just now, the radio running in the background and some tea on the table next to me. Peppermint, in case you were curious. I found myself thinking about why I enjoy listening to the radio again, so I thought: Why not scream that into the void and turn it into a blog post?
Linear Programming and its benefits
I am not a purist, I still use Spotify and streaming services. All the radios that I own also come with Bluetooth, so I can play whatever I want on them. But most of the time it is a radio program that is running. But Florian, aren't most radio stations bad? you may ask. To which I would say: Probably, but most does not mean all. Once you find a good radio station it can quickly become a joy. You start to recognize the programming, know what will happen roughly at which times and when it is especially worthwhile to tune in.
What makes a radio station good can be incredibly varied and highly subjective, of course. For the person that I am I find myself gravitating to those kinds of station that offer eclectic music and a strong supporting program of culture, science, news, opinions... Let's take my favourite radio station of radioeins as an example:
When I arrive at work in the morning I know what I will have coming up. Some economy-news at 07:20, the news at every full hour (with a focus on local stuff since it is a regional station), good music, some information about unknown music that a listener wanted to hear (the so called "Bermuda Triangle"). Then they also have special stuff, a live recording with live music every weekday evening, during summer they have jury-voted rankings on every Sunday on the best 100 songs of insert category here. I still vividly remember a Sunday from two years ago with the best songs of the 2000s, hearing things like Wolf like Me by TV on the Radio on, well, the Radio was such a fantastic feeling.
It brings some routine to the day, and if you feel like not listening to the news again you can take it as an impulse to get up and do some stretching instead. Helpful if you have a mostly sedentary office job. And it is nice to know that in a quality station there was a person who thought about the program, and it just blends together nicely in a way that algorithms cannot achieve.
Radio Paradise
And then, on the other end of the spectrum there is radio paradise, a purely internet station that simply plays music and does nothing else. The only interruption is the occasional "You are listening to Radio Paradise, thanks for that." in different languages, recorded by listeners. Their main mix is super eclectic and they also offer some sub-mixes, if you happen to be in a rocky or mellow mood, for example. Radio paradise allows you to listen to a ton of different music throughout the day, with a small little community that ranks the songs and tells their own stories they relate to them in the comments. It is simply a nice place on the Internet, and one I think people using these kinds of blogs might enjoy. So check them out, sometime! You can even skip songs on there, so if they ever play something you absolutely cannot stomach... Just skip it!
However I find that to be part of the fun, to be exposed to music you otherwise wouldn't consider listening to. And the good music can then be added to your Spotify playlist or bought on iTunes or whatever. I discovered many songs I hold dear to my heart that way (and extended my music taste far beyond 2000s-early 2010s racing game music).
Closing Thoughts
It is Sunday, I am airing out the apartment to cool it down a bit. Still sitting on the balcony, the news are currently playing on the radio. I need to do my haircare today. But it promises to be a good day today with a bright blue sky.
Take care and remember to hydrate!
PS, some more radio stations that are cool:
- Rainwave - internet station with video game music,
- DLF NOVA (German) - similar to radioeins, but with more of a focus on younger audiences under 30
- RMF FM - A random polish station that tends to play good stuff,
- radio.garden - Not a station, but a cool site that allows you to discover radio stations from all over the world by moving about a globe.