Ever since radio station ownership was deregulated, pundits have denounced the increasing corporate nature of radio. Playlists have tightened, syndication and satellite services abound, automation has expanded, and remaining personalities rarely explore the creative potential of the medium out of fear for their jobs.
The sea of bland, unadventurous programming stands in stark contrast to the potential of radio. Unlike television, which often leaves nothing but scent to the imagination, radio can stimulate the mind to engrossing dreams, significant intellectual thought, or just change the mood. Furthermore, it can have any of these effects while the listener does something productive, from cooking to reading to homework to computer programming to running around the neighborhood.
This series of pages calls attention to quality radio of the present and the near past to help radio afficionados find good programming, whether on their local public radio station, commercial station, or via RealAudio over the Internet.
The centerpiece is my Ideal Radio Schedule, featuring what I would put on the air if given an unrestricted world. In 2006, this page was split to put honorable mentions and change history on a separate page. Since this world has some restrictions, I also suggest channels with somewhat more realistic programming in three formats, Public Radio, Talk Radio, and News Radio.
To emphasize the fact that there is good contemporary programming, I have started to highlight the best program from the previous week that I have listened to.
These schedules suggest an obvious question, so there's also a page highlighting what I actually listen to on the air and off the 'net.
Being so opinionated, I had to proclaim what makes a good radio station in my opinion, and of course a site like this would not be complete without links to quality radio sites.
Finally, I give the final word to the talk show hosts who attract a following for their closing statements.
Lance Gleich
These pages were last updated across the board in 2010.
For maintenance concerns about this page, contact webmaster@enati.com
(C) 1998-2011 Lance Gleich - Last Updated: 11 March 2011