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AM/FM OTA,Internet,iTunes,Real Player/Windows Media Player,Siriu/XM - Radio,etc?

5K views 17 replies 16 participants last post by  Geo35 
#1 ·
With todays age where you litterly have 1,000 upon 1,000 of radio choices to choose from be it from your local radio station to Sirius,XM, to iTunes & Windows Media(radio station selection) to "plain old" radio Internet, do you still listen to your local radio stations in your city?

True with Real Player, Windows Media & iTunes Radio they change their radio line once in a while.

I'm not sure if you can block radio stations via the net from your computer/lap top or not(not that technical in this area).

But with basically 1,000+ choices out there, in many languages,music formates and such do you still listen to "local Radio"?

I love iTunes Radio the section I listen to is Techno/trance/Dance. They have the best selection on the net. I especially love Jukebox 101.

Whats your favorite station? and how do you get it?
 
#3 ·
The only radio I listen to is good ol OTA using frequency modulation.

Could have Sirius in the car, or internet radio at home so on, but prefer listening
to stations with a local human being disk jockey on the other end.
 
#5 ·
For actual radio, it is local, almost always from FM, at least from local FM transmitters. Alas, CBC has no actual station in my neck of the woods, and that is what I listen to most, on a GE Super-Radio III, which has fairly decent sound. To stream on the Internet would require I take a signifcant hit to listen to the CBC stream, over the Netbook speakers. I only do that if the local trasmitters are down.

Apart from the CBC, there are a handful of rather local stations, from Wingham to Owen Sound, which I circle through, or leave on one of them.
It was really a treat to get local stations that played somewhat good music, starting 2004 or so. Before that, it was my goal to receive radio stations from Toronto to London, including the Star Choice Radio, and what was on analog C-band. I do listen to the now Shaw Direct Radio and Galaxie digital music channels, on occasion.

I have listened to the radio station two towns over, which is only 5000W and cannot be received in my media cosumption lounge, by Internet stream, connected to my stereo system. I have also recorded their Rock programs to the PC there, to listen on my MP3 player as I work, and yes, delete the recordings when done.

I also am into, when I get the urge though, to listen to the Absolute Radio streams from the UK. I don't listen to those stream aggrigator services as a rule.

As for why local, it is cheap and easy. I can get receivers for free, or easily repair the ones I have, and they work anywhere, in nearly any condition, particularily where Internet is not available, and is rather power efficient, compared to Internet or other digital receivers. A few AA batteries can last days in a little portable radio, and the Super Radio III, although AC powered mostly, has the same D-cells it has had for about three years, and they still run the radio.
 
#6 ·
I have Sirius on in the car, and at my desk at work 100% of the time. I often stream Sirius when on the train as well, CBC on occasion via FM. Stern and XM U are my top 2 channels, prob 90% of my listening is to them.

Weekends I mix it up a bit with Slacker and Sirius. If I'm feeling nostalgic I put on CHOM (Montreal rock), but that's rare.

For me Sirius provides the perfect balance of DJ banter : music ratio. Slacker is decent but I find myself really missing the DJs and the indie music is a good 6-12 months behind current. FM commecials make me want to destroy my stereo. :D
 
#8 ·
News from 680news Toronto (AM), CBC Radio 1 (99.1 Toronto). These were sourced via DAB until that broadcasting platform ceased. Also various print newspapers online. Also, local AM CHML for news and CHCH also via Cogeco. CH can not be received OTA. (see comment on FM below). Also use shortwave for alternative news sources.

Music from Radio 2 (mornings, afternoons). I greatly preferred the DAB feed as it was free of most of the ridiculous over processing of the 94.1 FM Toronto. Also use an ipod and a book reader for talking books which also plays .mp3 and .ogg files with talking navigation for folder/file selection. Sounds fantastic, especially with .ogg files. With one exception, all Local FM stations are unlistenable due to multipath in the apartment.

Sat radio here a no-go. Face east. :)

Never got into streaming radio or TV onto the computer.

HD Radio, only U.S. stations at present from Buffalo. Tropo makes HD Radio more reliable during spring/summer/fall.

TV: Cogeco cable SD and HD. OTA gradually being added to the mix. Looks great though. Recording OTA-HD still a work in progress. :) File incompatibilities/glitches.

Cameron
 
#9 ·
When I drive in my morning/afternoon commute, I start with AM730 (all traffic radio). Once I know about all the accidents, I decide on which route to take.

Once I know my morning route, I listen to either Rock 101, Jack-FM or QM-FM, to catch up on news and events.

My afternoon commute, I use my USB flash drive with my favourites. I also use the flash drive for driving around town outside of commuting.

If I take public transport (bus-skytrain), I'm listening to the MP3 player in my Android.

At home I listen to my music collection around the house, but to FM radio when working in the garage or out in the back yard.

I don't listen to internet radio as my music collection is extensive enough (at least to me at 32GB)
 
#12 ·
Similar to Classicsat and his "Super GE Radio", I purchased a good normal receive radio too.

Mine is a Grundig Satelit 350 - AM / FM / SW / LW / Air bands.

Radio Listening / DX ing is a fun hobby.

So I listen to regular local FM. And some FM from further away.

Local and Distant AM. Distant AM specially at night from the U.S.
But also some AM longer distance from Canada. Toronto and Montreal.

Shortwave SW is sometimes fun, but the content there is different.
SW still from all over the world - but some countries have stopped their SW.

A future Goal of mine is to put up some outdoor good radio antennas to be able to do more DX'ing.

The Grundig Satelit 350 has both built in antennas, and connections for external antennas - so that radio is good both ways. Works well out of the box with it's built-in antennas.

Stations are too numerous to list, but here are a few:

CBC 1 and 2.

Espace Music - CBC French 102.5 in Ottawa - nice music.

Public Radio from the U.S. - ex. Classic FM 90.9 from Watertown NY.
WCNY / WJNY / WUNY Watertown / Syracuse ...

Local AM like 580 CFRA - talk shows and local news and weather.

The University Campus stations like, just one example: 93.1 CKCU / Carleton University Radio can be very interesting listening.

All the usual Rock / Pop stations usually on FM.

There's also Radio Stations and music channels off the Digital Cable Box Music channels from all over. ex. Rogers Digital.

Used to be Analog FM over Cable - pretty much gone now.

AM - long distance from powerful stations in the U.S. comes in at night.
Talk shows, some politics, funny early morning shows, oldies music stations.
From all over the major cities down south and west of here.
New York, Chicago, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Detroit, Hartford, Cincinatti - from all over all sorts of major U.S. cities comes in .

Independent Radio stations / low power - Like Amherst Island Radio in Kingston area.

I am thinking about getting into HD Digital radio coming from the U.S. - probably could be received from Kingston Area.

Multicultural Radio Stations from a few different areas.
On AM radio from Toronto, Montreal, or the U.S. / Philadelphia or New York - I've tuned in a few of these.

I've researched some international radio from other countries that I'm interested in - stopped their SW "shortwave" broadcasts altogether ... but now broadcast direct, in the clear, not encrypted, a few stations, to NA and other continents on some C-Band Satelite ... so I thought about that ... but that will be more expensive and involved to try and pick that stuff up.
(need a big C-Band satelite dish and special receiver(s) )

There's lots on the internet streamed - but I don't do that very often.
I have just experimented with streamed radio a little.
But you can listen to stuff from all over the world on streamed internet radio.

Satellite Radio like Sirius / XM - no ... I have never used that yet.
 
#13 ·
I subscribe to Digitally Imported Premium (DI.FM) to get the higher quality versions of their streams, which I listen to more or less all day at work on the computer. The subscription also includes all the Sky.FM channels as well for variety as DI.FM is all electronic music.

I also listen to various internet radio stations from Greece and CHTO AM1690 in Toronto (the stream is of much better quality than listening on AM) on my Blackberry. This listening was typically done on my train to/from work.

I also have Sirius satellite radio in the car. I mostly listen to the Dance/Electronic stations on there, but occasionally tune into the Jazz, Classical, Oldskool Hiphop and Classic Disco stations. I love their comedy channels, Blue Collar Radio and Raw Dog Comedy.

I very rarely listen to local FM in the Toronto area...most stations play the same music that I'm not a fan of and have way too many commercials. When I listened to FM, I listened to Z103.5 and 102.1 The Edge. I did enjoy receiving WNED from Buffalo on 94.5 I think. They played some decent stuff whenever I got a signal near Lake Ontario.

I also sometimes listen to the Galaxie stations on digital cable.
 
#14 ·
I listen to internet radio 98% of the time. This is at home (multiple dedicated Internet radios in various rooms), at work (on the computer). In the car and when commuting/walking, I listen via the "Tune In" app on my iphone.

I primarily listen to radio from France. (RTL, NRJ...)
When it comes to TV, I do the same, but using Slingboxes with access to European stations. There are times where I don't turn on my Rogers Box for days! (but that's another topic).

I used to have a US XM subscription, but cancelled it when I got my first iphone. Long ago, I used to listen a lot to SW and AM at night. These days are pretty much gone now. I find internet radio clearer than FM and I don't have to change stations on long trips. When I travel to France and listen to the same radio stations on FM, they sound so much worse!
 
#16 ·
I use the Tune In Radio app for my Android smartphone - over 50 000 radio stations available from all over the world. I leave it on ESPN Radio mostly though (from Tallahassee or Boston) and the Jim Rome Show from Wichita, Kansas in the afternoons, as I enjoy sports talk radio.

I also have at my fingertips all my music files via the Pogoplug Cloud app - almost 12 000 songs - about 60 GB worth of music from all sorts of genres, which I'll listen to at work or wherever, a lot of times using Bluetooth earbuds, for a totally wireless streaming connection!
 
#18 ·
On weekends I listen to Internet radio mostly classic American Top 40 countdowns from the 1970's and 1980's on Premier Networks radio stations from the US. They are played on 30-40 different online stations (at different times) including some here in Canada. Some of the US ones are geo blocked (iheart radio), but some are not.
Yes I know I am living in the past and can't let go of it :)

I don't listen to much radio during the week, except for a few minutes of OTA radio on my short commute to work.
 
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