What Has Happened To FM Radio?

Has anyone else noticed that variety is all but gone, when it comes to FM radio? It seems that each station has a playlist of 20 or so songs, which are in line with the playlists of many other stations. How often do you guys flip through the stations, and hear the same song on 2-3 stations? How often does a new hit come out, and you get tired of it within two weeks, because it's played over and over on multiple stations? How often are you stuck in rush hour traffic, and over the course of an hour, don't hear one good song?

It seems the great library of music has been erased, no longer played, and depending on the genre you listen to, might only hear songs from a playlist that appears to me, to be around 20 songs. There is so much great music out there, from the 60's and 70's, through the 80's, the 90's up until today, yet the majority simply isn't played. Others must have noticed this. It's damn annoying.

Is the only option satellite radio, with a subscription? Is there a connection between free mainstream radio, and satellite radio, where mainstream radio is intentionally not playing many songs so we are forced to pay a subscription to listen to decent music? I wonder if the owners of Clear Channel, which owns many radio stations, have a backdoor agreement with the owners of satellite radio? Play songs from severely limited playlists, and therefor force more people to consider paying for satellite. Do that, and we'll thank you behind the scenes.

I can't think of another reason for the majority of good music to simply disappear from the radio dial over the past few years.

reply to post by MysticPearl


Depends where your from really I suppose.......where are you?

Here in the UK there are plenty of FM radio stations catering for all tastes.....depends what you tune into.

I used to drive HGV's and can honestly say that whatever my mood I could find a station that catered for my needs, and certainly played more than 20 songs on ant sort of loop.

dont you remember?

This happened when ClearChannel and a couple of other corporations bought up all of the radio stations. They have corporate playlists that only vary slightly by region. You can drive cross country and not hear much more than 35 songs on the whole drive.

With the advent of the Ipod and MP3 players FM radio is largely irrelevant until they rethink their strategy.

I have a hard time picking up fm radio stations except for in my car. I have heard that radio was going digital as well? who knows but I have noticed that there is more talk and less music.

That is because almost all of the stations in the US are owned by:

Clear Channel.

Tell me that is not a conspiracy!

reply to post by modified device


Oooh!....bad link mate.

But I can't wait to remember what I may have forgot!


Apologies......link working now

reply to post by modified device


Nevermind - embedded item now works...sorry.

Originally posted by Argyll
reply to post by modified device

 

Oooh!....bad link mate.

But I can't wait to remember what I may have forgot!

yeah I fixed it

I've given up listening to the car radio, as it is full of adverts, or dj's that like the sound of their own voices

reply to post by Submarines

I wouldn't call it a conspiracy,I would call it a monopoly.
I haven't listened to FM radio in years anyways,most of my music tastes are fulfilled via internets and besides most of what passes as mainstream music is garbage anyway.

yes, fm radio seems to have matured past its peak. now a days we have internet radio, digital music, and many people making their own music and listening to other unknown artists, thanks to social media.

i think this is a good thing though, at least you can listen to what you want, when you want!

For many recent years, FM radio was horrible horrible soulless god awfull garbage from h**. Very recently, (but this may apply to me locally) all of the FM music stations are either "oldies" (1970s 1980s) or Christian contemporary. The radio PTB realized that people under 40 do not listen to this mode anymore. I really very much like and prefer oldies. (Why, back in myyyyy day, you disco'd, and liked it!) But however, NONE of the songs they play have any depth to them. I utterly cannot abide The Beach Boys, and I don't like the Beatles either, I think they suck, actually. And the 'DJs' ---make sure--- you will get your day's FILL of those. But try to catch some Jimmy Hendrix. Ain't happenin. And anyone even more controversial than that (War, What Is It Good For) forget it.
I don't need to theorize to anyone here on ATS as to why that is. (But I will) (corporate/CIA Brain melting PTB pablum)

IDK I'm an AM guy anyway.. I love listening to sports radio..

I pick up a station at night, where rocker Alice Cooper is DJ'ing. I thought he was so radical and dark, but these oldies rock songs he picks, are --so lame-- ! Ughhhhh. What happened to him? He must have gotten old. Now, he's a lame oldie.

I have subscribed to siriusxm for about 5 years now. Being mostly into the metal genre it supplies all the metallic goodness I require in order to stay alive.

I miss WRIF from Detroit with Carl Coffee "BABY"
I drive an 86 truck with the original am/fm radio and I tell you the OP is spot on the money here.
repeat rinse and repeat to no end.
It is all mindless drivel now.
Regards, Iwinder

The only station I would listen to in the Los Angeles/Orange County market was a talk station, 97.1.. a few years ago they changed formats. I did a little search and this is part of the reason-
"AMP Radio originally bowed early last year as an online/HD2 station affiliated with KCBS-FM in L.A. Apparently, the test run was successful enough to convince CBS radio executives that young, texting-and-Twittering teens -- the ones who spend money at malls while listening to music via their cellphones -- just can't get enough of artists such as Kanye West and T.I. This is despite the fact that there is plenty of competition in the space -- see KPWR (105.9), KIIS (102.7) and KDAY (93.5) -- all of which mine similar musical territory in the same market"

Here in the UK we still get pirate stations on the FM dial playing everything and anything, but mainly underground music that the big commercial stations wont touch, or maybe have 1 hour a week specialist show but these are few and far between. Here in Nottingham we have rogue FM on 87.5 but it only comes on friday night to a sunday night, these guys run the risk of getting serious prison time and massive fines as well as losing all their equipment should they get busted, my hat goes off to them and they have my utmost respect for doing what they do to bring underground music to my home/life. I think though with all the internet stations now and lets face it there are millions of them that FM is on its way out, i dont think it will ever entirely die out, but the listenership will drop off eventually making it not commercially viable anymore, as for a time frame for this lets say 10 -20 years away at the present rate of losing listeners to the www. I could be wrong but digital was a massive fail in the UK and like someone said earlier even here in the UK it seems that all the stations play the same music all day every day limiting the listener to the same old week in week out.

Originally posted by Argyll
reply to post by modified device

 

Oooh!....bad link mate.

But I can't wait to remember what I may have forgot!

Apologies......link working now

edit on 14/9/2011 by Argyll because: (no reason given)

You comment is a song! I got a good giggle out of the pun and had to go back and listen. Tell me when you last heard it!
Cheers!