Why Radio Rules & Will Continue To Do So

There’s a part of the movie “Joe Dirt” where he’s talking about looking up at the moon and hoping that his parents are looking at the same moon.  That is the beauty of radio to me.  Radio allows you to be alone and with a group all at the same time. It allows you to be a part of a group that can’t make fun of you or turn you down for a date, it’s just a group enjoying something amazing together with no negatives.  More after the jump.

It’s funny, some people think the days of radio are “over”.  The fact is, they aren’t even really ‘waning”.  FMX, for instance is now heard over the air and online.  When you put the two together, more people are listening to us than ever before.  Sure kids have Ipods now.  Big deal.  Kids had cassettes or 8-tracks when I was a kid.  Walkmans didn’t kill radio.  The online choices aren’t bad, but they’re also the same as listening to a c.d. of your own; they just don’t have the sense of community radio has.

I remember going to the beach for some night surfing and the d.j. launched into an extended set from Pat Benetar (hey  it was ’76 or something).  We all thought it was awesome that all of us piled into the van got to hear it together.  We also couldn’t wait to get home to say “Did you hear what they did on KMET…it RULED”.  Yeah, it was all a bit innocent but I CLEARLY remember the sound of “Heartbreaker” playing and the smell of sand, seawater and surf wax in the back of that van.

I feel bad for the kids who isolate themselves with music streams and Ipods, just like the kids who had Walkmans and 8 Tracks, they’re missing out on that great communal experience that is radio.  It’s not unlike the people with DVR’s.  You want to talk to them about the new “Walking Dead” or something so bad and they say “wait, wait, wait..I haven’t seen it yet” and by the time they get around to it, you’ve lost your excitement for that particular episode.

Then let’s not forget the most awesome thing at all.  Music sounds better on the radio.  There’s something about the ‘exciters’ we use or maybe it’s the actual energy that carries the signal, but music on the radio always sounds both brighter and deeper, more urgent and more alive.

I hope you spend a little time rockin’ with your friends, even the ones who aren’t around this weekend.  TURN UP THE RADIO!