In reply to:
I have enormous resect for the old-school DJs like Jack... who kept many of us entertained our whole lives. But it's not the same anymore, and there's better alternatives now.
I participate in an email group that is largely made up of jocks I used to work with in Hartford, CT, those who studied broadcasting with them at the University of Hartford, and friends. Many of them, like me, are no longer in the business, finding their services no longer needed. But, some are still jocking at small stations that are bucking the trends in smaller markets (Madison, WI) , and some are working in major markets.
We just lost one of our real pros, Steven Capen, to lung cancer. He achieved great success in San Francisco, Boston, and New York. He replaced Howard Stern at one station in NY, and though Steven was hardly a "shock jock," he was a zany, fun guy and Howard cited him as a major influence. I worked with him in Cleveland and Hartford.
In this group, there has been a lot of celebration over the failure of a packaged format called, ironically (and disgustingly) "JACK."
The "JACK" station in NY (WCBS, I think) has really dropped in the ratings since switching to this format, making all my cohorts VERY happy.
I barely listen to radio at all. In my car, I tune in a local station, that is licensed to a nearby high school, but is privately owned, and plays old stuff from the 30s and 40s. No commercials, and the "jocks" comprise high school students, and elderly volunteers. Most all of them are awful, but I don't mind in the least since I get so much great old music, with minimal interruption.
I think I would love XM or Sirius radio, but in my current situation, I spend so little time in my car, it would not be a frugal investment. At home, I DO listen to the music channels that my TV cable company offers. I like that a lot.
