RADIO REQUEST
I bought a portable, feather-weight radio for my walks. DJs: please talk, too.
I was at the $$ store, getting ready to check out. I stopped by the “electronics” rack, as I often do. In fact, I had been “online” trying to find some music player to take with me on my walks. It makes the blocks go by faster when there’s a beat. I saw the very thing I had been looking for. A tiny little portable radio, battery-powered and with some ear buds. It cost $8.00 — WOW! I had not come even close to that price online — and it was a “name” brand (not a brand I associated with radios, but these days . . . .).
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I bought the radio and some batteries, and tried it out this afternoon. My walking goal was two miles; the radio rhythms made the steps click by easily and happily. What a great sound, and a great deal. I can listen to NPR, or find music that I like. I opted for music, tried a couple of different stations before I found one that I stuck with. I remember the “number” of the station, though not the call letters.
I have one request for the station I chose, for all stations, for all DJs (the original “disc jockeys” played records and read the news). When I hear a song that I like because of the music, the beat, the lyrics — I want to follow up with the artist, the album, maybe the download. DJs: please, please promote the artists whose music keeps me coming back to your station. Say the name of the track you’re about to play, and the name of the artist. Say the name of the album, too.
I remember back in the day; record companies sent actual vinyl records to radio stations, hoping that someone would like a “cut” enough to play it on the air. Maybe that doesn’t happen now; maybe the “set list” is selected by the communications company in the sky, and delivered to the radio stations with no acknowledgements. If so, too bad. Maybe it’s all done by automation. If so, shame on you. There seemed to be plenty of commercials on the station. Maybe the ad rates are high enough to pay someone to break down the set lists by artist, album, track? If so, YAY! And thank you!
