It's a shame what's happened to radio
Many commenters lament the decline of human-curated, locally rooted radio, arguing that algorithmic playlists and heavily commercial FM have eroded the sense of shared culture and companionship that DJs once provided. Others counter that the “spirit of radio” survives in community and college stations, public broadcasters, satellite channels, and independent internet radio, even if it’s harder to find amid today’s abundance of on-demand media. Alongside nostalgia, there is concern about consolidation, loss of cultural “gatekeepers” who broaden listeners’ horizons, and the practical sidelining of broadcast radio in devices despite its resilience in emergencies.
Human Connection and “Old Radio” Feel
- Many miss the sense of companionship: a human DJ choosing songs in real time, shared listening on road trips or late shifts, and the feeling “someone else is up with me.”
- Hearing a song on broadcast radio felt different from self‑selected streaming because it implied other nearby people hearing it at the same moment.
- Some argue livestreaming, YouTube/Twitch, and podcasts now fill this role; others say these lack the same passive, local, serendipitous feel.
Commercial Radio’s Decline
- Widespread complaints: tiny repetitive playlists, heavy ad loads, centralized programming software, and DJs who no longer pick music.
- US deregulation and consolidation are blamed for homogenized formats and loss of local curation.
- Some never liked FM/AM at all and happily abandoned it for MP3s/streaming where they control content fully.
Community, College, and Public Radio
- Many highlight vibrant noncommercial stations: college, community, public, and national broadcasters (e.g., UK, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Europe and Brazil).
- These are praised for local music, niche genres, thoughtful talk, live performances, and deeper cuts.
- For some countries, a single public network historically shaped youth culture and shared musical memory; that monoculture is largely gone.
Internet Radio, Streaming, and Podcasts
- Internet radio and station streams are seen as a “golden age” of variety: global access via tools like online station directories.
- Indie/online stations and Bandcamp-style shows are praised for passionate curation and community, often surpassing traditional TV/radio in perceived quality.
- Others feel overwhelmed by choice and miss the simplicity of a few curated channels.
Curation, Algorithms, and Youth
- Concerns that algorithmic recommendation creates “digital islands” rather than broad shared culture, and optimizes for engagement/pleasantness, not education.
- Human DJs are framed as educators who gently push listeners outside comfort zones; some worry less‑motivated or poorer young people may miss that if access is paywalled or left to algorithms.
FM on Phones and Emergencies
- Debate over removing FM tuners from smartphones: some see it as a major safety loss in disasters; others say cell emergency alerts suffice and hardware costs/complexity matter.
- Technical back‑and‑forth on whether FM capability is often present but disabled in modern chipsets.