AJOBO: March Is Radio Month on REBEAT!
It was bandied about among the staff that radio is a seriously under-appreciated medium in this day and age. Sure, streaming (by whatever means you deem legal and necessary) and downloading do the job, but there’s nothing like tuning into that one station you know will play your favorite song of all time. Unfortunately, with the compression, streamlining, and even elimination of some of the best loved stations in the country, sometimes finding one you consistently like can be a challenge. (Not to mention that the ’60s are being phased out in many markets — I can’t even believe “oldies” now includes the ’80s and ’90s [she says with indignation]!)
But here at REBEAT, we prefer to look on the bright side. XM offers more options than ever for the journey down the long tail, ala programs like Little Steven’s Underground Garage, and even Cousin Brucie’s trips to the record vault on Sirius’ ’60s on 6. Perhaps radio isn’t becoming obsolete; it’s just becoming niche.
Over the course of March, we’ll explore the past, present, and future of radio, including features on some of the most groundbreaking DJs of the past half-century, spotlights on songs tributing those golden airwaves, and even highlight the “new wave” of radio by letting you in on some of the best podcasts on the internet.
As always, we want to know what you think. How often do you listen to the radio? How do you discover “new old” music? Be sure to let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments.
This Week on REBEAT!
– Comedy was a huge market during the mid-century mass-production of vinyl, making comedians like Peter Sellers, Bill Cosby, Woody Allen, David Steinberg, and more as popular as the musicians of the day. This week, we’ll take a look at five of the most important comedy albums. I wonder how they hold up today?
– Music has always been laced with a healthy dose of plagiarism. Let’s be real; people have been ripping off other people’s ideas since the dawn of time. We’ll examine some of the most notorious plagiarized songs of all time and maybe point a finger or two.
– In keeping with our radio themed, our resident over-the-air DJ, Gretchen Unico, is cooking up a special JUKEBOX of those great tunes about surfing frequencies. To counter that, we’ll pick our favorite radio tracks that, although they’re probably overplayed, we love them anyway.
