While I agree that commercial radio, especially the homogenized top 40-style stations, sucks, and that radio has become gradually more sucky, I must say that radio is not uniformly suckier than the internet.

Lots of call-in shows and talk radio allow people to become actively involved with what they hear on the air. Of course, most people who call in to radio shows are dumbasses, but then again, most people who operate web sites are dumbasses, too. In fact, most people in general are dumbasses.

Independent stations such as KPFA free speech radio in Berkeley, college and high-school radio, and personally run "pirate" radio stations, while not available in all areas, still provide the individual a chance to make their voices heard.

In fact, I think that one's radio dial is much like a small-scale internet, with just as much commercial uniform crap, only in one's web browser, one doesn't have to flip past www.cher.com and rushlimbaugh.net to get to say... 8bitjoystick.com.

If the FCC would loosen their laws regarding ham radio operation, then radio might once again become the proto-internet it once was. In fact, the difficulty with which one must now contend to operate an independent station should serve as a bellwether to those who operate independent sites on the net. If the net is ever regulated in the same way the FCC regulates the airwaves, then the internet could also become massively suckier.

Now television, on the other hand, really does suck.

I would actually like pirate radio if I had some actual exposure to it. There was none growing up nor did I know of any when I lived in Seattle or now.

The thing is that most TV channels will not go over 16 minutes of commercials per hour while Clear Channel radio will play twenty minutes.

That is the beauty of the net. It can't be regulated by any government because it is a truly international medium.

I would like to believe that in five to ten years or so there will be wireless public networks where you can listen to any internet radio station from all over the world that could be run on a $500 computer. At least one can dream.

Hell at least there is Public access TV channels. If there were public access radio hours it would be interesting.

ok, first, radio sucks ass...talk shows are the worst...especially "zoo" morning shows...oy!
second, thank you so much for mentioning Tesla...that was (almost) the best part...
third, i think your idea of a public access radio thing should be developed somewhere...b/c that would be very interesting, indeed...

wow jake. very well written.

Nice rant, i agree with you that commerical radio sucks, though like you said there is hope with other forms: Internet streams, and even satellite radio, though the latter comes with a price.

In a related note, I just posted my own rant of sorts about the RIAA in my blog, jay Is, and I'd like to include the same Obey RIAA GIF. There is no such source www.obeyrecordinggiants.com, and I'm just wondering who holds the rights to the graphic so I can inquire about its use? thanks. game on.

But there is public access radio. At least there is in the Bay Area. I imagine that other places may not be so lucky. Also, for a small investment, one can set up one's own amateur radio station.

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/amateur/index.html

Ham radio equipment might not be totally cheap, but tit's certainly less expensive than operating a television station.

I think you can really just file the whole "commercial radio sucks" argument underneath "commercial anything sucks". I mean, si there anything commercial or corporate-run that doesn't suck?

As for morning shows, gag. There only seem to be three kinds: Morning Zoos, Morning Dog Houses, and Mornings with X and Y, where X and Y represent people's names. If it wasn't for morning shows, however, there would be a glut of unemployed frat boy college dropouts trying to become used-car dealers or insurance salesmen.

This really was not that well written. I will just sketch out my ideas and then fill them in later on after I have thought about them.

I should have pointed out to why national talk radio works to advance only GOP points of view is that the growing national radio conglomerates could have not gotten this big with out the mid 90s Contract with America that removed a lot of the restrictions on station ownership. So national broadcasters are a group that can really benefit when the GOP is in power. It is not a conspiracy just business. If you don't think so name me one liberal talk show host who gets a forum like Rush, Oreiliy and Savage.

The graphic was from a http://www.Fark.com Photoshop contest. I don't remember what one or who made it. But I believe that it is based on a graphic from http://www.ObeyGiant.com. Given the underground subversive artist nature of http://www.ObeyGiant.com I doubt that he would have any problems with it being used in this way.

I also should point out that I was inspired by the latest issue of Too Much Coffee Man Magazine. ( http://www.tmcm.com/ ) But I did not rip them off.

Think about this. There is NO conspiracy by the GOP to dominate the airwaves. These are 3 guys who have radio shows.....three guys! All of the radio shows you mentioned exist in the AM radio market handicapping them from the mainstream. Rush limbaugh does well in radio because he is a populist and a pragmatist. Noone forced Rush's audience into existence. Mike Savage is popular because he says what a lot of Americans think and is really outragious...almost too outragious. This is what people really want. Just like Howard Stern. Bill Orielly is popular because he takes on big corporations and grills Hollywierd celebrity coke-heads on national TV. I dont understand where this theory that the airwaves are controlled comes from. They are controlled by US.
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Jake said:"national talk radio works to advance only GOP points of view "
Jake....Rush limbaugh is a political talk show from a right wing perspective. It is not "fair and balanced" and doesnt pretend to be. It is political commentary and satire. Rushs show is not going to push a liberal agenda! What would be the point? Orielly? nope Savage? nope.
Uh these talk radio "stars" are all conservatives except for Savage who used to be an UBER hippie. He is under attack from the gay and lesbian coalition even though he has NEVER said anything anti-gay on his show. Ever. It is just assumed that he will.
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The truth is there are far more liberal talk radio hosts on the air than there are conservatives. Most of them just suck and are nowhere near entertaining. MY GAWD have you ever listened to Bernie Ward? ARGHHH! It is next to impossible to make a liberal talk show host successful because there is not a need to be filled as there are plenty of them in the media and Hollywood. Rush limbaugh originally got popular because he attacked Clinton relentlessly. People that hated Clinton tuned in...in droves. Nature abhors a vacuum and when a need arises from listeners or viewers it will be filled by someone. If Rush Limbaugh dropped in the ratings his show would be cancelled. Msnbc fired Donahue because his ratings SUCKED! The same thing could happen to anyone. The other reason why conservative talk is so popular is the fact that it actually follows a very stringent constuctionist/pragmatist philosophy. People who are highly emotional dont like this philosophy because they see the world totally differently from people who are objectivists like Ayn Rand. To them Rush limbaugh is wrong about everything....how could he be so insensitive? Oh yeah vice versa too....how can you be so emotional? This is why "Liberal" talk shows will never be popular. Especially not now.

There is an ongoing effort to unseat the right wingers but it will never ever work. They really think that if they could just find a real left leaning version of Rush it would save thier skin...they just dont get it.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/columnists/vassilaros/s_122534.html

You know, i am tired of the liberal media trying to change peoples minds into hating the goverment. it is not fair, unpatriotic, and also just plain sickening. The people need the truth, and radio stations need to give it to their listeners.

What "Liberal Media"? Are you joking? There is nothing un-patriotic about questioning our elected officials. In fact our founding fathers thought it was our right and responsibility to question our government in the first amendment. Yes the people need the truth but I doubt that they are going to get it from corporate owned media, clear-channel and Fox.

radio sucks? no no, radio should be put out of it's misery, here we mock it but it needs our help!

it's suffering! save it! release it from it's hell!