Radio

Howard Kurtz writes:

The reason these two companies have 13 million subscribers willing to cough up $12.95 a month for something we all grew up thinking should be free is that commercial radio has self-destructed.

All these folks (including me) are paying for satellite because they're tired of cookie-cutter radio formats stuffed to the gills with commercials. They're also fed up with focus-grouped music stations that play the same 60 songs until you start hearing the chords in your sleep.

Very true. I've had Sirius for over two years. My reasons for getting it are (in order of importance) 1. to get NFL games, 2. to have radio reception when i drive through the big empty that is Central Pennsylvania, 3. to have some choice when it came to radio even when i was around home.

Sirius is not a panacea, but it does provide listening options. On the other hand, their talk stations are loaded with commericals for the same handful of advertisers (gotomeeting.com, ditech.com, etc.) which makes it hard to listen to them. There is too much sameness on the talk stations ( I can't tell Mike Church from Glen Beck from Alexander Willkow from Colin Cowherd.)
There are lots and lots of music options. All that choice has allowed me to come to a couple of realizations about my musical tastes.

1. I can live a long and happy life without ever hearing another Beatles or Who song.

2. I don't ever want to hear anything by Pink Floyd ever again.

3. Jimi Hendrix is timeless. I never get tired of hearing any of his songs.

4. The Allman Brothers fall into the same category.

5. For the last thirty years the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan have been competing to see which one wins the coveted title of Greatest Artist who Produced the Most Bad Albums and Songs.