Possible Soon: Splendid Music From On High

Radio, like an old friend, has been a part of our lives for as long as any of us can remember.

Before television, the radio was often the focal point of the living room. Families gathered around the radio to learn of the day’s news, to be entertained by comedians such as Jack Benny or thrilled by the exploits of superheros, and to listen to the popular big bands of the day.

Today, radio inhabits a more peripheral place among our communication options. Nevertheless, it continues to entertain and inform us right alongside the more glamorous television and computer.

One reason for radio’s continued success is its advantage of being able to be part of our daily experience without unduly interfering with our routines. It requires less of our attention than does TV or the computer. That makes it an ideal companion as we work our jobs and drive our cars. For those too young to have a job or drive a car, the radio often becomes an even more central part of the day.

It didn’t take radio long to learn to target particular age groups.

I discovered radio at the age of 12. That summer of 1961 in Spokane, the station for young listeners was KNEW, which later became KJRB. The transistor radio became my constant companion.

The transition from being oblivious to radio to being consumed with it was as swift as it was complete. I didn’t mind a bit that the same songs were repeated all day long. The chattering deejays and corny commercials didn’t interfere with my enjoyment. I loved it all.

The format and style that entertained me back then continue to work for young listeners today. For many of us, though, commercial music radio has become too limited.

Perhaps following the path of least resistance, they have developed a strong tendency to avoid original and diverse musical formats and rely instead on proven hits which are played over and over throughout the day. This seems to be just as true of stations catering to adults’ more mature musical preferences as those aimed at younger listeners.

The spectacular changes we’ve seen with television and computers haven’t been matched by commercial music radio. The music available today has increased much faster than radio’s willingness to air it.

With the advances in CD technology, many musicians who could never have produced their music in the past can do so today. Commercial stations either can’t or choose not to provide a forum for these new performers.

For many listeners like myself, this limitation is a turn-off.

What I’d like from radio is an expansion of its play list. I’d like radio to introduce me to music I haven’t heard before. I know such variety is out there because I’m constantly finding it in stores that sell used CDs.

My method is to seek out stores that carry a diverse assortment of styles and allow me to preview the discs before I buy. I spend hours previewing music. Much of what I listen to I don’t buy. But if I spend enough time previewing, there will be plenty of keepers. Each time I find a new artist, I search out their entire body of work. Using this method, my musical library is constantly growing.

I’m amazed at just how many talented musicians there are. It’s unfortunate that they have such limited opportunities to connect with listeners.

One potential remedy is satellite radio. Already part of in-home systems, this technology will soon be offered as an accessory in some new cars. It is envisioned to offer around 100 channels of crystal clear musical and other programs, and cost around $10 per month. Best of all, it would be commercial-free and more able to expand the diversity of its musical offerings.

This is an exciting development. Although it’s been slow in arriving, it could well place radio more equally alongside the TV and computer as a communication tool living up to its potential. And though it may well have some stiff competition from the computer in exposing fans to new music, it still has the advantage of being the passive bystander that entertains as it informs, allowing us to carry on with our day while we do the important work of enriching our musical lives.